CASA DE CAMPO, Dominican Republic – Texas A&M University-Commerce junior Luis Martinez will compete in the prestigious Latin America Amateur Championship, beginning on Thursday.
 
Martinez (Caracas, Venezuela) is one of six Venezuelan golfers in a field of 102 male amateur players from 29 countries in Latin America. The Teeth of the Dog course at Casa de Campo will play as Par-72, 7,210-yard course for the 72-hole event, with a 36-hole cut on Friday to the top 50 golfers. Fans can keep up with Martinez each day with a two-hour live broadcast on ESPN2 Thursday, Friday and Sunday and ESPNews on Saturday.

"I am really happy to be here," Martinez said during practice at The Teeth of the Dog. "I feel like this is every Latin American golfer's dream, to play in this event. It is a massive achievement as a amateur and I hope to get the win this week."
 
The Latin America Amateur Championship offers  some of the most storied entries in golf to its top finishers, as the champion earns a spot in the Masters and an exemption to compete in the 150th Open Championship, an exemption to The Amateur Championship, conducted by The R&A, an exemption into the U.S. Amateur and an exemption into the final qualifying stages of the 2022 U.S. Open. The runner-up receives exemptions into the final qualifying stages of the 150th Open Championship and the 2022 U.S. Open.

"I am very excited for Luis to compete in one of the most prestigious amateur events in the world," Lion head coach Ryan Hand said. "He is playing with the best amateurs in Latin America, and it will be a great experience for him. I'm confident he will represent his country and our University well."
 
Martinez is one of six current Division II golfers in the field and one of nine golfers with ties to a university in Texas.

Lion Athletics will provide updates on Martinez' performance at the tournament on our social media channels.