Moongate Tour Spices Up Season Opener with Added Format
IslandStats.com
The 2026 Moongate Tour season is set for a thrilling start this Friday, January 30th, as the local professional and elite amateur circuit returns to the Port Royal Golf Course. While the tournament maintains its high-stakes individual competition, this year's opener brings a fresh tactical layer to the fairways with the introduction of a dedicated team event.
The new competition is designed to run alongside the regular individual tournament without intruding on the core stroke-play format. Instead, it aims to foster a greater sense of rivalry and camaraderie among the island's top golfers.
According to organizers, the new format will feature six teams, each led by a captain who will select four players per round. The scoring system is designed to reward consistency across the board:
The best three scores from each five-person group (captain plus four picks) will count toward the total team score. The fourth score—traditionally discarded in many formats—will be kept in reserve to serve as a crucial tie-breaker if needed at the end of the round.
The competition will build toward a high-pressure finale. At the end of the season, the top two teams will face off in a "Captain's Choice" match to determine the overall team champion for 2026.
To keep the rosters dynamic, the tour has introduced a mid-season transfer window, allowing captains to reshuffle their lineups. Additionally, a new wildcard rule has been implemented, granting a player affiliated with one club the unique opportunity to represent another club for a single event, adding an unpredictable element to the season's standings.
With the Order of Merit race also beginning on Friday, the addition of the team trophy ensures that every shot at Port Royal will carry even more weight than usual.
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Port Royal to Host Bermuda Four-Ball Championships
IslandStats.com
The fairways of Port Royal Golf Course are set to witness a high-stakes test of teamwork and strategy as the Bermuda Four-Ball Championships return on January 31st and February 1st.
The two-day tournament at the Southampton layout will be contested as a four-ball stroke play event, with teams of two competing at 85 per cent of their course handicap. The format, which allows each player to play their own ball with the best score on each hole counting toward the team total, often produces some of the most aggressive and low-scoring golf on the local calendar.
Three distinct divisions will be contested over 36 holes, ensuring a broad cross-section of the island's golfing talent is represented. The Men’s Championship will be played from the blue tees, while the Senior Men’s Championship will move to the white tees. The Ladies’ Championship will be contested from the red tees, with all three titles expected to be fiercely defended.
Competitors looking to enter the Senior Division must be aged 55 or over before the opening round on January 31st. The Bermuda Golf Association has set the entry fees at $400 per team, or $200 per person. In a move to encourage local participation, Port Royal members can benefit from a reduced rate of $150 per person.
The deadline for registration is fast approaching, with entries set to close at 5pm on Monday, January 26. Aspiring champions are encouraged to secure their spots early, as the field is expected to fill quickly following a season defined by a surge in competitive amateur participation.
Friday, January 16, 2026
Bermuda Duo Miss the Cut in Lima Championships
Eric West
IslandStats.com
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.
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Mixed Day for Bermuda Golfers in LAA Championships
Oliver Betschart
IslandStats.com
Bermuda’s Oliver Betschart is firmly in contention to make the weekend at the 2026 Latin America Amateur Championship, after a battling opening round at the historic Lima Golf Club.
In a championship where the ultimate prize is a life-changing invitation to The Masters, the 17-year-old Betschart coped admirably with the undulating fairways and strategic hazards of the Peruvian layout. He carded a three-over-par 73 to finish the day tied for 32nd in the 107-man field.
Betschart’s round began with a flourish; back-to-back Birdies in his opening holes saw him briefly surge into a share of second place. Despite a slight loss of momentum, he reached the turn at one-under-par, appearing well-set to challenge the leaders.
However, the "back nine" at Lima proved a sterner test. A run of four bogeys saw the teenager slip back, eventually finishing the day with a statistical card of three birdies, nine pars, and six bogeys. Nevertheless, he remains well within the projected cut line, with the top 50 players plus ties advancing to the final two rounds.
It was a more challenging afternoon for fellow Bermudian Eric West. Making his debut in the prestigious event, the 42-year-old found the thick, parkland rough and tight tree-lines unforgiving during an opening round of nine-over-par 79.
West’s scorecard reflected a "rollercoaster" opening session, including 2 Birdies, 8 Pars, 5 Bogeys, and 3 Double Bogeys
Despite the difficult start, West showed resilience over the closing stretch and sits T80th heading into Friday. He will likely need a significant under-par round tomorrow to move into the weekend's conversation.
Monday, January 12, 2026
West & Betschart Ready for Major Opportunity in Peru
IslandStats.com
The R&A and the USGA have officially announced that the 11th Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC) will be contested at the historic Lima Golf Club in Peru from January 15th - 18th, 2026.
Founded in 2014 by the Masters Tournament, The R&A, and the USGA, the championship serves as a premier development platform for amateur talent across South America, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. For the 2026 field, the stakes remain incredibly high: the champion will receive a life-changing invitation to compete in The Masters Tournament, alongside exemptions into The Open and the U.S. Open.
Representing Bermuda in this elite field are Eric West and Oliver Betschart.
For Eric West, this marks his debut appearance in the Latin America Amateur Championship. West arrives in Peru following a strong 2025 campaign where he finished as the runner-up in the Bermuda Amateur Stroke Play Championships. A former professional on the Tour de las Americas, West regained his amateur status and has since become a regular fixture at the top of local leaderboards, including competing in the PGA Tour’s Bermuda Championship in 2024.
Teenage sensation Oliver Betschart returns for his second consecutive LAAC appearance. The 17-year-old made his debut at the 2025 championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he showed flashes of brilliance despite missing the cut. Betschart carded an opening-round 74 last year—highlighted by an eagle—before eventually finishing in a tie for 66th place. He recently gained valuable international experience representing Bermuda at the Junior Pan American Games in Paraguay, where he secured a 14th-place finish.
Lima Golf Club, which celebrated its centennial in 2024, will provide a strategic parkland test for the region's best amateurs. The course will play as a par-70, 6,804-yard layout characterized by tight, tree-lined fairways and lake hazards.
The tournament has historically been a launchpad for future stars, with past competitors like Joaquín Niemann using the platform to transition to the professional elite. For West and Betschart, the 72-hole stroke-play event represents not only a chance at major championship glory but a vital step on the international amateur stage.
