{{ubiquityData.prevArticle.description}}
{{ubiquityData.nextArticle.description}}
Thirty amateur golfers will travel to Chile this week for the 2020 South American Amateur Championships with support from The R&A.
The South American Amateur Championships are being played at the Sport Francés Club de Golf just outside Santiago from 8-11 January and a strong contingent of men and women golfers from Canada, England, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Portugal, Scotland and Wales will compete thanks to funding provided by The R&A.
Notable players among the group include Scotland’s Shannon McWilliam, who played in the 2018 Curtis Cup for GB&I, and 2019 Scottish Open Amateur champion Jake Bolton from England.
Also travelling are Darcey Harry and Ffion Tynan of Wales, who competed for GB&I in this year’s Junior Vagliano Trophy, and Ireland’s John Murphy, who won the 2018 St Andrews Links Trophy and played for Ireland in the 2018 Eisenhower Trophy at Carton House.
It is the eighth consecutive year that The R&A has provided funding support to players from outside South America to play in the championships.
Duncan Weir, executive director of golf development and amateur championships, said: “The South American Amateur Championships give male and female elite amateur golfers from all over the world the opportunity to start the New Year in style by competing in this prestigious event.
“The R&A is again supporting the participation of thirty players from outside of South America in an event which continues to grow in stature each year. We are all looking forward to enjoying a memorable week in Chile.”
First played in 2006 and supported by The R&A since its inception, the event is open to both men and women and was won last year by Canada’s Chris Crisologo, for the second year in a row, and María Escauriza of Paraguay.
The South American Amateur champions will receive exemptions into the European Amateur Championship events being played in Finland (women) and France (men) next year. These events offer exemptions into the AIG Women’s British Open and The 149th Open for the winners.
Golfers who have played in the South American Amateur Championships include 2019 Solheim Cup winner Bronte Law, 2015 Women’s PGA champion Brooke Henderson, Walker Cup players Ashley Chesters, Euan Walker, Paul McBride and David Boote, Curtis Cup team-mates Paula Grant and McWilliam, and Pedro Lencart Silva, a former R&A Boys Amateur and Junior Open champion.
The South American Amateur Championships will be the first international event of 2020 and you can follow scoring and updates at the event here.
Follow The R&A on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
The R&A