Tour de las Americas
Encyclopedia
The Tour de las Américas (TLA) is the men's professional golf tour for Latin America
.
Top level tournament golf
in Latin America has had an unstable history. Some of the national open championships in the region are long established, but they did not traditionally form a coherent tour. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the Caribbean Tour attracted entrants from leading European and American golfers such as Seve Ballesteros and Curtis Strange
, but it folded after a few years. The next attempt was the "South American Tour" of 1981 to 1999, which was based around the existing national opens of the main Latin American countries. This had considerable success in creating a popular and coherent tour over its almost two decades of operations and was notable for the quality of some of the players it exported to the PGA Tour
and the European Tour, such as José Cóceres
and Ángel Cabrera
.
In 2000 new owners relaunched the tour under the name Tour de las Américas with aim of creating a schedule which would cover the whole region from Argentina
to the Caribbean
, and gain wider media exposure. The tour soon introduced a policy of co-sanctioning some events with Europe's second tier Challenge Tour
, and some years later, in 2008, a similar arrangement was agreed with the Canadian Tour
. The TLA also co-operates with the Nationwide Tour
; whereby some of the leading Tour de las Americas players are given entries to certain Nationwide Tour events.
If the Sunshine Tour
is considered to be the main tour for all of Africa, then in the early 21st century Latin America
was the only region of the World which did have a professional tour which is a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the Tour de las Americas having joined the federation as an associate member on July 30, 2007. In August 2010 the Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking made a provisional announcement that the tour would offer ranking points starting in 2011. The first tournament to receive ranking points was the 2011 Abierto de Chile
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
Top level tournament golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
in Latin America has had an unstable history. Some of the national open championships in the region are long established, but they did not traditionally form a coherent tour. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the Caribbean Tour attracted entrants from leading European and American golfers such as Seve Ballesteros and Curtis Strange
Curtis Strange
Curtis Northrup Strange is an American professional golfer. He is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. He spent over 200 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between their debut in 1986 and 1990.-Early years through college:Strange and his...
, but it folded after a few years. The next attempt was the "South American Tour" of 1981 to 1999, which was based around the existing national opens of the main Latin American countries. This had considerable success in creating a popular and coherent tour over its almost two decades of operations and was notable for the quality of some of the players it exported to the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and the European Tour, such as José Cóceres
José Cóceres
José Eusebio Cóceres is an Argentine golfer who spent many years on the European Tour and is now a member of the U.S.-based PGA Tour....
and Ángel Cabrera
Angel Cabrera
Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either...
.
In 2000 new owners relaunched the tour under the name Tour de las Américas with aim of creating a schedule which would cover the whole region from Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and gain wider media exposure. The tour soon introduced a policy of co-sanctioning some events with Europe's second tier Challenge Tour
Challenge Tour
The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe...
, and some years later, in 2008, a similar arrangement was agreed with the Canadian Tour
Canadian Professional Golf Tour
The Canadian Professional Golf Tour is a men's professional golf tour headquartered in Oakville, Ontario. It was formally started in 1970 and was initially known as the Peter Jackson Tour....
. The TLA also co-operates with the Nationwide Tour
Nationwide Tour
The Nationwide Tour is the developmental tour for the U.S.-based PGA Tour, and features professional golfers who have either failed to score well enough at that level's Qualifying School to earn their PGA Tour card, or who have done so but then failed to win enough money to stay at that level...
; whereby some of the leading Tour de las Americas players are given entries to certain Nationwide Tour events.
If the Sunshine Tour
Sunshine Tour
The Sunshine Tour is a men's professional golf tour based in Southern Africa. For much of its history it was known either as the South African Tour or the FNB Tour, but it rebranded itself in an attempt to broaden its appeal...
is considered to be the main tour for all of Africa, then in the early 21st century Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
was the only region of the World which did have a professional tour which is a full member of the International Federation of PGA Tours, the Tour de las Americas having joined the federation as an associate member on July 30, 2007. In August 2010 the Governing Board of the Official World Golf Ranking made a provisional announcement that the tour would offer ranking points starting in 2011. The first tournament to receive ranking points was the 2011 Abierto de Chile
Chile Open
The Chile Open, or the Abierto de Chile, is a men's professional golf tournament on the Tour de las Américas, that was first played in 1927....
2011 schedule
Below is the schedule for the 2011 season. Late season events have not been announced yet.| Dates | Tournament | Host country | Winner | OWGR Official World Golf Rankings The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers... points | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1–6 Mar | Abierto de Chile Chile Open The Chile Open, or the Abierto de Chile, is a men's professional golf tournament on the Tour de las Américas, that was first played in 1927.... |
Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
 Benjamín Alvarado |
6 | |
| 7–13 Mar | Abierto Internacional de Golf Copa Antioquia Copa Antioquia The Copa Antioquia is an annual golf tournament held in Medellín, Colombia. It was founded in 2009 and forms part of the Latin America based Tour de las Américas.... |
Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
 Joaquín EstévezJoaquín Estévez Joaquín Estévez is an Argentinian professional golfer who plays on the Challenge Tour and the Tour de las Américas.Estévez turned pro in 2008 and picked up his first professional win in 2011, the Copa Antioquia, an event sanctioned by the Challenge Tour and the Tour de las Américas.-Challenge Tour... |
12 | Co-sanctioned with the Challenge Tour Challenge Tour The Challenge Tour is the second tier men's professional golf tour in Europe. It is operated by the PGA European Tour and as with on the main European Tour and the European Seniors Tour, some of the events are played outside of Europe... |
| 14–20 Mar | Pacific Colombia Tour Barranquilla | Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
 Cody Slover |
6 | Co-sanctioned with the Canadian Tour |
| 21–27 Mar | Pacific Colombia Tour Championship | Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
 Adam HadwinAdam Hadwin Adam Hadwin is a Canadian professional golfer. He has won two events on the Canadian Tour.-Early life:Hadwin was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and lives in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He grew up playing golf at the Ledgeview Golf Club there; one clubmate was another top young player, Nick Taylor... |
6 | Co-sanctioned with the Canadian Tour |
| 20–23 Apr | Abierto del Centro | Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
 Héctor Céspedes |
6 | |
| 18–22 May | TLA Televisa Players Championship TLA Players Championship The TLA Players Championship, is a golf tournament on the Tour de las Americas, the highest level professional golf tour in Latin America. First held in 2002, it has been held at several different courses in the seaside resort of Acapulco in Mexico.... |
Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Julián Etulain |
n/a | |
| 23–29 May | Toyota Peru Open | Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
Benjamín Alvarado |
6 | |
| 7–10 Jul | Abierto de Golf Ciudad de Bucaramanga | Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
 Alvaro Jose Arizabaleta |
6 | |
| 14–17 Jul | Abierto Internacional de Golf Copa Sura | Colombia Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the... |
César Costilla |
6 | |
| 6–9 Oct | Aberto do Brasil Brazil Open (golf) The Brazil Open or Aberto do Brasil is an annual golf tournament held in Brazil. It was founded in 1945, and has been an event on the Tour de las Americas on several occasions, most recently in 2005.... |
Brazil Brazil Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... |
Óscar Álvarez |
6 | |
| 13–16 Oct | Abierto Internacional de Golf Hacienda Chicureo Copa Claro | Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
Paulo Pinto |
6 | |
| 27–30 Oct | Abierto del Nordeste | Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
Emilio Domínguez |
6 | |
| 3–6 Nov | Carlos Franco Invitational Carlos Franco Invitational The Carlos Franco Invitational is a professional golf tournament held at the Carlos Franco Country & Golf Club, in Arroyos y Esteros, Paraguay. First held in 2004, the tournament was included in the TPG Tour schedule in 2007, which is the official professional golf tour in Argentina... |
Paraguay Paraguay Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the... |
Fabrizio Zanotti Fabrizio Zanotti Fabrizio Zanotti is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Zanotti was born in Asunción. He was Paraguay's top ranked amateur golfer for six straight years before turning professional in 2003.... |
6 | |
| 17–20 Nov | Roberto De Vicenzo Classic Roberto de Vicenzo Classic The Roberto de Vicenzo Classic is a golf tournament on the TPG Tour, the official professional golf tour in Argentina. In 2006 and 2008 to 2010 it was also included on the Tour de las Américas schedule.... |
Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
Nelson Ledesma |
6 | |
| 1–4 Dec | Torneo de Maestros Argentine Masters The Argentine Masters or Torneo de Maestros is one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in Argentina, despite not having been played continuously since the inaugural event in 1961. It has always been held at the Olivos Golf Club near Buenos Aires.... |
Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
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| 8–11 Dec | Campeonato Abierto de la Republica | Argentina Argentina Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires... |
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| 15–18 Dec | Abierto Sport Frances | Chile Chile Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far... |
Order of Merit winners
| Season | Player | Country | Points | Earnings (US$ United States dollar The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies.... ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Julián Etulain | 56,593 | ||
| 2009 | Peter Gustafsson Peter Gustafsson Peter Gustafsson is a Swedish professional golfer.Gustafsson was born in Orust, Sweden. He turned professional in 1999.... |
40,934 | ||
| 2008 | Estanislao Goya Estanislao Goya Carlos Estanislao "Tano" Goya is an Argentine professional golfer.After turning professional in 2007, Goya won the Tour de las Americas qualifying school by nine shots, and followed that with victory in the first event of the 2008 season, the Challenge Tour co-sanctioned Center Open, and third... |
58,104 | ||
| 2007 | Miguel Rodríguez Miguel Rodríguez (golfer) Miguel Ángel Rodríguez is an Argentine professional golfer.Rodriguez was born in Buenos Aires. He turned professional in 1998 and has played predominantly in South America on the Tour de las Américas and the Argentine TPG Tour... |
60,180 | ||
| 2006 | Fabrizio Zanotti Fabrizio Zanotti Fabrizio Zanotti is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Zanotti was born in Asunción. He was Paraguay's top ranked amateur golfer for six straight years before turning professional in 2003.... |
68,790 | ||
| 2005 | Daniel Barbetti | 41,514 | ||
| 2004 | Rafael Gómez Rafael Gómez Rafael Gómez is an Argentinian professional golfer.Gómez was born in Buenos Aires. He turned professional in 1990. He played on the European Challenge Tour in 2003 and 2005–07 and the European Tour from 2005 to 2007. He played on the U.S.-based Nationwide Tour in 2004 and a few events on the PGA... |
59,220 | ||
| 2003 | Eduardo Argiro | 48,174 | ||
| 2001–02 | Rafael Gómez Rafael Gómez Rafael Gómez is an Argentinian professional golfer.Gómez was born in Buenos Aires. He turned professional in 1990. He played on the European Challenge Tour in 2003 and 2005–07 and the European Tour from 2005 to 2007. He played on the U.S.-based Nationwide Tour in 2004 and a few events on the PGA... |
55,987 | ||
| 2000–01 | Angel Romero | 49,396 | ||
| South American Tour | ||||
| 1999 | Scott Dunlap Scott Dunlap Scott Michael Dunlap is an American professional golfer who currently plays on the Nationwide Tour. He was previously a PGA Tour member.Dunlap was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania... |
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| 1998 | Raúl Fretes Raúl Fretes Raúl Fretes is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Fretes was born in Asunción and turned pro in 1990. He won the South American Tour Order of Merit in 1994 and 1998.... |
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| 1997 | Ricardo González | |||
| 1996 | Pedro Martínez Pedro Martínez (golfer) Pedro Rodolfo Martínez is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Martinez was born in Asunción and turned pro in 1985.Martinez played on the European Tour in 2000 and 2001, and achieved two top ten finishes the first season, tied 3rd in the Brazil São Paulo 500 Years Open and tied 6th in the Moroccan... |
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| 1995 | Ángel Cabrera Angel Cabrera Ángel Cabrera is an Argentine professional golfer who plays on both the European Tour and PGA Tour. He is known affectionately as "El Pato" in Spanish or in English as "The duck" for his waddling gait. He is a former U.S. Open champion and Masters champion. He is the first Argentine to win either... |
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| 1994 | Raúl Fretes Raúl Fretes Raúl Fretes is a Paraguayan professional golfer.Fretes was born in Asunción and turned pro in 1990. He won the South American Tour Order of Merit in 1994 and 1998.... |
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| 1993 | Carlos Franco Carlos Franco Carlos Daniel Franco is a Paraguayan professional golfer. He is the brother of golfer Angel Franco.Franco was born in Asunción, Paraguay. He comes from a poor background and grew up in a one-room, dirt-floor home. His father was a greenkeeper and caddy, and he has five brothers, all of whom... |
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| 1992 | Eric Woods | |||
| 1991 | Angel Franco Angel Franco Angel Franco is a Paraguayan professional golfer. His brother is golfer Carlos Franco.Franco was born in Asunción and turned pro in 1974.Franco won the South American Tour Order of Merit in 1991.... |
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