LIMA, Peru — Jamaica’s campaign at the 11th Latin America Amateur Golf Championship came to an early conclusion after Zandre Roye and Oshae Haye failed to advance beyond the cut at the historic Lima Golf Club.
Both golfers were eliminated at the end of the second round of the four-day championship, which concluded on Sunday and featured a dramatic playoff finish to determine the 2026 champion.
A championship decided in a playoff
The tournament culminated in a tense showdown between Mateo Pulcini of Argentina and Virgilio Paz Valdes of Venezuela, who finished tied atop the leaderboard at five under par 275.
Pulcini posted rounds of 69, 68, 70, and 68, while Paz Valdes carded 70, 73, 64, and 68, with their identical totals separating them by just two shots from the chasing pack. Unable to be split after the first playoff hole, the pair returned for a sudden-death second hole, where Pulcini finally edged ahead to claim the title before an appreciative crowd.
The victory earned Pulcini coveted invitations to the Masters Tournament, along with exemptions into The Open Championship and the U.S. Open.
Cut line proves costly
The cut was set at 56th position, with golfers required to be no worse than eight over par at the halfway stage to continue into the final two rounds.
Argentine Andy Schonbaum, who led after the second round on the same day the Jamaicans were eliminated, eventually finished tied for seventh alongside Mexico’s Eduardo Derbez, both ending the championship at even-par 280.
Roye and Haye found themselves under pressure from the outset. After the opening round, Roye sat in 80th position, while Haye languished in 101st. Though both sought improvement in round two, progress was hindered by cold conditions and the narrow fairways of the par-70 course.
Roye closed with rounds of seven-over-par 79 and 10-over-par 80 for a two-round total of 19-over-par 159, finishing 96th overall. Haye posted scores of 13-over-par 83 and 10-over-par 80 to end at 23-over-par 163 and 103rd.
Roye reflects on lessons learned
Despite the early exit, Roye expressed pride in representing Jamaica and optimism about future appearances at the championship.
“Coming into the championship I was doing pretty well. (I) just came here and didn’t execute as well as I wanted to. The conditions were unfavourable to say the least but all in all it was a great championship. I learned a lot. It was a great feeling representing the country once again. Just got to go back home and work on a few things and we’ll be back again next year hopefully stronger and better.”
The 2026 edition of the Latin America Amateur Golf Championship featured 107 golfers from 28 countries, underscoring the event’s growing stature as one of the region’s premier amateur tournaments.
