Bermudian hopes at the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship came to an end on Friday as both Oliver Betschart and Eric West missed the 36-hole cut at the historic Lima Golf Club.
On a challenging day in the Peruvian capital, the island’s representatives found the tight fairways and punishing layout of the prestigious venue a difficult riddle to solve, as the field was trimmed for the weekend’s action.
Teenager Oliver Betschart, making his second appearance in the championship, saw his hopes of a weekend charge evaporate during a difficult second round. Following a steady opening day that had kept him within touching distance of the magic number, Betschart struggled to find consistency on Friday.
The 17-year-old carded a 9-over-par 79 to finish the week at 12-over-par. His scorecard told the story of a battling performance, featuring one birdie and 10 pars, but his progress was hampered by four bogeys and three costly double bogeys. Despite the exit, the experience adds another chapter to the rising star's burgeoning international career.
Fellow Bermudian Eric West fared slightly better on the day, showing plenty of grit to sign for a 5-over-par 75. While an improvement on his opening round, it left him at 14-over-par for the tournament, well outside the cut line which eventually fell at 8-over-par.
West’s second round was an adventurous affair, characterized by an aggressive approach that yielded four birdies. However, seven bogeys and a double bogey prevented him from making the significant move required to bridge the gap.
At the other end of the leaderboard, Argentina’s Andy Schonbaum tightened his grip on the tournament. The 34-year-old followed up his opening 66 with a 2-under-par 68 to move to 6-under-par overall.
Schonbaum holds a two-shot lead over Venezuela’s Andrés Martínez Benedetti heading into the third round, with the ultimate prize of an invitation to The Masters and exemptions into The Open and the US Open awaiting Sunday’s winner.
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