The R&A and the USGA have officially confirmed that the 11th Latin America Amateur Championship will be contested at the historic Lima Golf Club in Peru from 15-18 January 2026.
Founded in 2014, the championship has become the premier development platform for amateur talent across South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. The stakes are predictably high: the winner earns a life-changing invitation to The Masters, along with exemptions into The Open and the U.S. Open.
Representing Bermuda in the elite field are Eric West and Oliver Betschart.
For West, this marks a debut appearance. He arrives in Peru following a strong 2025 campaign as runner-up in the Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play Championships. A former professional, West has become a regular fixture at the top of local leaderboards since regaining his amateur status.
Teenage sensation Betschart returns for his second consecutive appearance. The 17-year-old made his debut in Buenos Aires last year, carding an opening-round 74 that included a spectacular eagle. Having recently secured a 14th-place finish at the Junior Pan American Games, he brings valuable international momentum to the tee.
The Lima Golf Club, which celebrated its centennial in 2024, offers a strategic parkland test. The par-70 layout is defined by tight, tree-lined fairways and treacherous lake hazards, promising a rigorous 72-hole challenge for the region’s rising stars.
