GOLF FEATURES FORMER PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS AND PAN AMERICAN MEDALISTS AT SANTIAGO 2023

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Golf will be played at the Prince of Wales Country Club in La Reina, a golf club that hosts a Korn Ferry Tour tournament every year.

The golf competition at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games will feature a star-studded field, including former champions from the PGA Tour and Pan American medalists. The event will take place from Thursday, November 2, to Sunday, November 5, at the Prince of Wales Country Club in La Reina.

The delegations from Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and Colombia have selected their best available players, many of whom are currently competing on the PGA Tour and the alternate LIV Golf circuit with excellent performances.

The two greatest golfers in Chile’s history, Joaquin Niemann and Guillermo “Mito” Pereira, are on the local team. Niemann, a former world number one amateur, has secured two PGA Tour titles, while Pereira won the bronze medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, finished fourth at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and claimed second place at the PGA Championship last year. Both golfers are currently competing on the LIV circuit and are very familiar with the 18-hole course at the Country Club.

Mexico has called up Abraham Ancer and Carlos Ortiz, two of their best players who have each won one PGA Tour championship. Ancer and Ortiz are excelling on the LIV circuit as well.

Fabrizio Zanotti from Paraguay won the 2019 Pan American Games and Jose Toledo, a member of the Independent Athletes’ Team who competed in the Chile Classic of the Korn Ferry Tour at the Country Club in La Reina earlier this year, came in second.

Colombia is not far behind and will field the winner of a PGA Tour title, Sebastian Muñoz and Barranquilla native Ricardo Celia, who won the Major III of the Minor League Golf Tour in 2023.

In the women’s category, Canada’s golfer Alena Sharp is one of the favorites. She competed in the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has a victory in the current Epson Tour season, with five top-10 finishes and total earnings of $83,000.

Amateur golfers will also be part of the competition, with the USA’s Dylan Menante, ranked seventh in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, leading the group. He will be joined by Anna Davis (6th) and Rachel Heck (25th).  Christopher Richard Junior (98th) from Trinidad and Tobago will also join the competition.

ROUND 1 TIMETABLE

Tee 1 – Men

08:00 – Etienne Papineau (CAN), Jean Paul Ducruet (PAN), Rocco Saraceni (VEN)

08:11 – Flavio Cesar Sameja (BOL), Jose Toledo (EAI), Kelvin Hernandez (PUR) 

08:22 – Justin Hastings (CAY), Ricardo Celia (COL), Joaquin Lolas (PER) 

08:33 – Alejandro Tosti (ARG), Guillermo Pereira (CHI), Sebastian Muñoz (COL) 

08:44 – Myles Creighton (CAN), Miguel Ordonez (PAN), Virgilio Paz (VEN) 

08:55 – Juan Cristobal Terceros (BOL), Jose Pablo Rolz (EAI), Christopher Richard (TTO) 

09:06 – Jorge Fernandez Valdes (ARG), Joaquin Niemann (CHI), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)

09:17 – Rodrigo Lee (BRA), Abraham Ancer (MEX), Dylan Menante (USA) 

09:28 – Richard Gibson (BAH), Erich Fortlage (PAR), Luis Barco (PER) 

09:39 – Andrey Borges (BRA), Carlos Ortiz (MEX), John Hagestad (USA)

Tee 10 – Women 

08:00 – Carolina Alcaino (CHI), Lua Pousa (PAN) 

08:11 – Valeria Mendizabal (EAI), Emma Baier (ECU), Camila Zignaigo (PER) 

08:22 – Alena Sharp (CAN), Regina Plasencia (MEX), Vanessa Gilly (VEN) 

08:33 – Maria Jose Savoca (BOL), Alexandra Swayne (ISV), Maria Paz Marques (PAR)

08:44 – Valentina Bosselmann (BRA), Isabella Fierro (MEX), Rachel Heck (USA) 

08:55 – Emily Odwin (BAR), Valery Plata (COL), Luisamariana Mesones (PER) 

09:06 – Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG), Michelle Melandri (CHI), Sofia Garcia (PAR) 

09:17 – Luiza Altmann (BRA), Maria Fernanda Torres (PUR), Anna Davis (USA) 

09:28 – Valentina Rossi (ARG), Maria Jose Uribe (COL), Milagros Chaves (PAR) 

09:39 – Selena Costabile (CAN), Laura Restrepo (PAN), Claudia Perazzo (VEN)

 09:50 – Sofia Blanco (BOL), Anika Veintemilla (ECU), Chloe Stevenazzi (URU)

By Renato Gonzalez