This week, the Lima Golf Club in Peru becomes the epicenter of amateur golf with the start of the eleventh edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC).

A total of 108 players from across the region will meet in the Peruvian capital, attracted by the most ambitious loot on the calendar.

Exclusive invitations to play the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National, The 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and the 126th US Open at Shinnecock Hills.

For Colombian golf, this edition represents a historic challenge. Despite its regional prominence, Colombia has not yet managed to lift the LAAC trophy, this being the country’s great pending issue.

On this occasion, the national delegation is made up of six players classified by their position in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) as of September 2025, who arrive with the mission of surpassing the third places obtained by José Mario Vega in 2020 and Mateo Fuenmayor in 2024.

The Colombian team is headed by Carlos Jesús Ardila, the best placed in the world ranking for the country. Ardila faces his sixth participation in the tournament with a clear objective: to consolidate his career with the victory he has longed for.

The Lima Golf Club receives the eleventh edition of the Latin America Amateur Championship

Along with him, players with international experience such as Santiago Rivas, Tomás Restrepo and Jorge Corchuelo return, all members of the Colombian team that was recently crowned champion of the ‘Copa Los Andes’ 2025 in Ecuador.

The group is reinforced with the return of Daniel Faccini, who makes his fifth appearance after being absent in the previous edition, and the debut of Emilio Vélez.

The young Vélez is going through an exceptional moment, being part of the team that will represent the country in the World Amateur Team Championship in Singapore, which adds freshness and competitiveness to the coffee squad.

The current situation of Colombians invites optimism. Tomás Restrepo arrives with maximum confidence after becoming champion of the Junior Orange Bowl International just 15 days ago.

For their part, Daniel Faccini and Emilio Vélez land in Lima with a competitive pace after their recent participation in the XX South American Amateur Open last week, ensuring that the national team is in full condition to fight for the top on Peruvian soil.

More sports news