A 25-year-old amateur from Argentina earned a spot in the Masters by winning the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship on Sunday at Lima Golf Club in Peru. 

Mateo Pulcini closed with a 2-under 68 to finish at 5-under 275, tied with Missouri senior Virgilio Paz Valdes, before sealing the title in a 74-hole playoff.

As reported by Golfweek, Pulcini said: "Well, I was nervous but as I say all the time I tried to have fun and enjoy the moment." 

Pulcini added, "You don't have that many chances of that opportunity, hopefully I will, but I don't know how many chances I will have."

Pulcini and Paz each carded a 2-under 68 in Sunday’s final round at Lima Golf Club, finishing the tournament tied at 5-under 275. 

In the playoff, Pulcini stayed alive on the first extra hole after an errant drive by threading his second shot through the trees and saving par, while Paz failed to make birdie. 

On the second playoff hole, Paz missed both the fairway and the green and could not leave himself a short par attempt, which opened the door for Pulcini to tap in for par and secure the win, making him the oldest champion in the tournament's history.

With this win, the Argentine earned a spot in three majors: the Masters, the U.S. Open, and the Open Championship.

Mateo Pulcini's wins before the LAAC breakthrough

During his time at Oklahoma Christian University, Pulcini collected five individual collegiate wins. 

Among them were the Missouri Southern Fall Invitational at Monkey Island and the Oak Tree Invitational in Edmond, both during the 2021–22 season.

Before his college run and his LAAC title, he also built a record in amateur golf. In October 2017, he helped his team win Argentina’s National Interclub Championship. 

More recently, he added three World Amateur Golf Ranking wins in 2025, taking titles at the Aberto Masculino do Sao Fernando in Brazil, along with Gran Premio Tortugas and El Federal in Argentina.

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu