SAN DIEGO (AP) — Three of golf’s most prominent organizations have created the Latin America Amateur Championship, giving amateurs from 27 countries a shot at playing in the Masters and qualifying for golf’s two oldest championships.
The Latin America Amateur will start next January in Argentina.
It follows the model of the Asia-Pacific Amateur, which began in 2009 with the backing of Augusta National Golf Club and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club. The U.S. Golf Association joined the latest effort in Latin America, with all three groups offering some major perks.
The winner will receive a spot in the 2015 Masters and will be exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the British Open and U.S. Open, along with an exemption to any other USGA championship for which the amateur is eligible.
