Jose Vega of Colombia leads by three shots after 36 holes at the 2020 Latin America Amateur Championship.
Vegas shot a bogey-free 65 on a windy Friday. His round started with a birdie on the first hole and a hole-out eagle on the third at Mayakoba’s El Camaelón Golf Club in Mexico.
Vega, 26, is 3 under, the only golfer under par. Lukas Roessler of Chile, who is 15, is currently second at even par, while Chile’s Gabriel Morgan Birke and Argentina’s Abel Gallegos are tied for third, four strokes back.
Vega shot an opening-round 74 but his 65 gives him the second-best second-round score in event history.
Joaquin Niemann shot a 64 in the second round two years ago.
“I think it was one of the best rounds I’ve ever played,” Vega said. “And playing on a stage like this, it’s even better.”
Latin America Amateur Championship: Leaderboard
He played his college golf at Bellevue University in Nebraska and is currently a regional director of sales for Trackman, the popular golf technology company. He calls golf more of a hobby these days but feels good about holding the lead through the weekend.
“Absolutely,” he said. “My mind and my way of living is just a competitive mindset. … I’m not here to be second. I’m not here to be third. I’m here to win.”
There are 52 players from 20 countries vying for a shot at the Masters and the Open Championship. The winner of the LAAC gains entry to both.
