PUERTO RICO – After turning in a stellar performance with a score under par in all four rounds, UCF men's golfer Luis Carrera finished as the runner-up at the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship with a four-round score of 269 (-19) at the Grand Reserve Golf Club.
With the runner-up finish, Carrera receives an exemption into final qualifying for The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool and an exemption into the final stages of qualifying for the 123rd U.S. Open Championship at Los Angeles Country Club.
Carrera was just four strokes shy of champion Mateo Fernandez De Oliveira, who fired a score of 265 (-23).
???? Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira (-23)
— Latin America Amateur Championship (@LAAC_Golf) January 15, 2023
???? Luis Carrera (-20)
Cuatro hoyos por jugar.
Four holes to play.#LAAC2023 pic.twitter.com/QTUyqs2yn2
The Mexico City, Mexico, native opened the championship by firing a 67 (-5) in the first round with four birdies on the front nine and three birdies on the back nine. Carrera carded the same score in the second round, highlighted by five birdies on the day to lead the field at -10 following the first two rounds.
Seriously impressive scorecard ??
— The R&A (@RandA) January 13, 2023
Luis Carrera moves into the lead at @LAAC_Golf ?? https://t.co/hanF8A21v8
He shot a 68 (-4) in the third round, recording a birdie on hole No. 2, 4, 10, 12, 13 and 14. Carrera closed out the championship with a score of 67 on Sunday, five strokes under par. He stayed within striking distance of De Oliveira throughout the day, as Carrera trailed by just three strokes after the 14th hole at -20.
Over the course of the four-day event, Carrera recorded at least one birdie on 14 of the 18 holes. The UCF standout tallied 25 total birdies, highlighted by a birdie on hole No. 14 in each round.
Fellow UCF men's golfer Juan Camilo Vesga also competed in the championship and carded a score of 288 (E). Vesga shot a 72 in the first round and a 71 in the second round to sit one under following the first two rounds.
Vesga turned in his best round of the championship in the third round with a two under par 70, headlined by four birdies. He shot a 75 on Sunday in the final round to end play in a tie for 29th with an even par 288.
UCF men's golf turned in a strong fall season, highlighted by winning the Hartford Hawks Invitational and finishing among the top five at the Carolina Collegiate Invitational. The Knights will return to action Feb. 5-6 at the John Hayt Collegiate hosted by North Florida in Ponte Vedra Beach.