Ivan Camilo Ramirez isn’t getting too far ahead of himself after opening with a two-shot lead Thursday at the Latin America Amateur Championship with a spot in the Masters and the British Open on the line.
Ramirez, a 22-year-old from Colombia, found himself at 2 over after three holes in windy conditions, but he was able to stay calm and finished with five birdies in his round of 3-under 68 at Mayakoba’s El Camaleón Golf Club.
“It wasn’t the start that I wanted, but at end of the day, it’s 18 holes today, 18 tomorrow, 18 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday,” said Ramirez, who played at Texas Tech and finished fourth individually at the 2018 NCAA championships. “It’s just a lot of holes that you have to stay calm and stay patient.”
Chileans Lukas Roessler and Gabriel Morgan Birke are tied for second at 1 under. At 15, Roessler is one of the youngest players in the field this week. His older brother, Toto Gana, won the 2017 LAAC at Club de Golf in Panama. Gana shot a 77 Thursday.
“It was an incredible moment when he won, and we realized if you practiced a lot, you could go far,” Roessler said. “He wasn’t that good at the beginning, but then he practiced a lot and he became a good player then, so that gave us motivation to keep on practicing.”
Roessler shares the same coach, Alvaro Miguel, as his brother and Joaquin Niemann, the 2018 LAAC winner. Niemann became the first Chilean player to win on the PGA Tour at the 2019 Greenbrier tournament. The 21-year-old tied for fifth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to start the year.
Ramirez has played in all six previous editions of the LAAC. Last year he tied for ninth at the LAAC played at Teeth of the Dog in the Dominican Republic after missing the cut in 2018.
“I feel like a few of the last years that I haven’t played well, I’ve put too much pressure on myself. So, this week, I just want to enjoy it,” Ramirez said. “It’s a great chance to play in the Masters and The Open, but I think the prizes have to stay out of my mind. I just need to play golf. I need to play 54 more holes and follow the plan that I have. “