LIMA, Peru – Argentina’s Andy Schonbaum and Venezuela’s Andrés Martínez Benedetti shared an early first-round lead at four-under 66 on the 2026 Latin America Novice Championship at Lima Golf Membership on Thursday.
The early starters made the many of the benign circumstances. Schonbaum, who’s making his tenth look on the Latin America Novice, birdied his opening two holes earlier than bouncing again from a bogey on the sixth with three birdies in 4 holes from Nos. 13-16 to achieve the four-under-par mark.
Leaderboard
“I used to be feeling tremendous snug,” mentioned the 34-year-old Schonbaum. “We had Tuesday and Wednesday the place I simply took good notes, good traces and paid consideration the place to not go. So I simply went out and performed there. I used to be enjoying effectively. I have been enjoying effectively for some time in order that makes it simpler.”
Martínez Benedetti, a 16-year-old making his debut, began on the tenth and was one below on the flip earlier than three birdies on his second 9 to tie for the lead. The Venezuelan took half within the inaugural LAAC Academy at Casa de Campo within the Dominican Republic final August, which is designed to assist gamers from rising golf nations to develop their video games at an elite stage.
“I am good; I really feel assured,” he mentioned after his spherical. “I made a superb begin and with my coach, Daniel, I am so completely happy concerning the spherical. I hit the motive force effectively. I did not miss a fairway. That helped me quite a bit and that helped me to make a superb rating. I am so proud of that.”
Earlier than the 2026 Latin America Novice, Martínez Benedetti mirrored on moving into this yr’s discipline for the primary time.
“Personally, enjoying within the Latin America Novice has at all times been a dream of mine,” he mentioned previous to the occasion. “It’s been a really troublesome journey as I got here very near qualifying two years in a row.”
Gabriel Palacios (T-3), the highest-ranked participant within the discipline at No. 25 within the World Novice Golf Rankings, is 2 strokes behind the leaders after submitting an eventful two-under-par 68 that featured 5 birdies and three bogeys. He sits tied with Mexicans Carlos Treviño Derbez and Eduardo Derbez.
“Yeah, it was nice,” mentioned the Guatemalan Palacios. “It was a variety of nerves to begin to be trustworthy. It was a really early morning. I needed to get up round 5 a.m. Having the ability to put a superb rating in immediately was essential so I am excited. I am excited for what’s to return however yeah, I am completely happy to start out with the fitting foot.”
Peru’s Patrick Sparks, the runner-up in final yr’s Championship at Pilar Golf in Argentina, raced to 4 below on the flip however frittered the photographs away on the again 9 to complete the day at even par. The 2022 champion Aaron Jarvis started his Championship with a one-over 71. The opening tee shot was hit by residence favourite and Lima Golf Membership member Rafael Claux, who went on to card a five-over-par 75.
The second spherical will get underway at Lima Golf Membership at 7 a.m. ET on Friday.
Based by the Masters Event, The R&A and the USGA in 2014, the Latin America Novice Championship was established to additional develop novice golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The occasion yearly strikes to prime programs all through Latin America and showcases the game’s rising expertise within the area, and the champion receives an invite to compete within the Masters Event and exemptions into The Open and the U.S. Open.
For extra info on the Latin Novice Championship, please go to LAACgolf.com and observe @LAAC_Golf on Fb, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.
