Razorbacks Put 4 in Top 5 at South America Amateur

BOGOTA, Colombia – Four of the top five at the 2024 South American Amateur Championship, played this week at Bogota Country Club, came from Arkansas golf. Razorback signee Gerardo Gomez was runner-up, current Hogs Christian Castillo and Mateo Pulcini finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and former Razorback Segundo Oliva Pinto tied Pulcini for fifth.

Gomez, ranked #20 in the AJGA rankings and an AJGA/Rolex All-American, is coming off a runner-up finish at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in November. He fired a final-round 70 at the South America Am to move up two spots into second thanks to birdies on holes 17 and 18. He fired rounds of 70-67-70-70 (277/-11) and finished two strokes behind champion Felipe Garces (Ecuador), a senior from West Florida.

Castillo was among the top six all four rounds and finished tied for third with a 54-hole score of 278 (-10). The Razorback senior was posted rounds of 69-69-68-72.

Argentinians Pulcini and Oliva Pinto tied for fifth at -9 with a 54-hole total of 279. Pulcini moved from 13th to fifth thanks to the low round of the day, a 5-under-par 67 on the final day. He finished with rounds of 71-66-75-66. Oliva Pinto opened with a 73 then steadily climbed the leaderboard with rounds of 70-67-69 the final three days.

Three other Razorbacks competed in the Championship. Signees Erich Fortlage tied for 24th (76-75-69-71=291 / +3). Current Razorback Manuel Lozada tied for 40th (73-71-77-77=298 / +10). Current Razorback Erik Plenge tied for 55th (77-79=76-72=304 / +16).

Up next, three Razorbacks – Lozada, Oliva Pinto and Fortlage – will compete in next week’s Latin America Amateur Championship with the winner earning berths to the Masters, the U.S. Open and the Open Championship. #ProHog Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira won last year’s LAAC.

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