Mid-Amateur Leandro Correa wins the Argentine Amateur
Leandro Correa (Argentine Golf Association photo)
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (February 27, 2019) - Leandro Correa is the Argentine Amateur champion after a thrilling 1 up win in the 36-hole final against Mateo Fernández de Oliveira at Club Golf Argentino.
Last year's winner of the Mid-Amateur ranking of Argentina, the 29-year-old Correa took a four hole lead after 13 holes of the morning round, but saw Fernandez de Oliveira square things up by the break.
The afternoon round was a back-and-forth affair, with Fernandez de Oliveira taking the lead three times, only to see Correa tie it up again. The key stretch turned out to be the 31st and 32nd holes, when Fernandez de Oliveira made two straight bogeys to fall two holes behind.
Correa let the margin shrink to one hole with a bogey on the 34th hole, but two closing pars were good enough to hold off Fernandez de Oliveira and take the title.
"It was a very difficult and different final in the morning and afternoon", said Correa (translated). "Luckily, I was able to maintain my serenity in the last eighteen holes and win against a great player like Mateo."
"It's the most I can aspire to in my country; I am an amateur and this championship means a lot to any amateur."
Federico Shin, the defending champion, made it all the way to the semifinals before bowing out 4 and 3 to Fernandez de Oliveira.
Andres Schonbaum, another mid-amateur, also fell in the semis, to the eventual champion Correa.
ABOUT THE
Argentine Amateur
The Argentine Amateur (Campeonato Argentino
de Aficionados) is an international match play
tournament, with 36 hole stroke play qualifying
to
determine 64 players for match play.
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