Sometimes achieving your dreams requires a bit of luck. At least, that’s what Mateo Pulcini found out on Sunday at the Latin American Amateur Championship.
With a spot in the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship on the line, the 25-year-old from Argentina stepped up to the first playoff hole and hit his iron into the right rough. With his ball buried, Pulcini tried to muscle his second shot up near the green. But it came out low and looked like it would hit a tree, dooming his chances. However, the ball somehow missed all of the big branches and made it through, leaving Pulcini a 40-yard chip shot.
Pulcini’s next shot checked up to 20 feet, and he poured in the ensuing par putt to send his playoff against Venezuela’s Virgilio Paz to a second hole.
On that second playoff hole, Paz yanked his tee shot into the left rough and caught a flyer lie that sailed right of the green. Paz chipped 40 feet past the hole and missed the par putt, leaving the door open for Pulcini to become the oldest winner in Latin American Amateur Championship history. Pulcini’s third shot came up just short of the green. He pulled putter and rolled his third to three feet. He tapped in the par putt to punch his ticket to Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills and Royal Birkdale.
Los mejores momentos de la ronda final del campeón del LAAC 2026, Mateo Pulcini. 🇦🇷
The best moments from the final round of the LAAC 2026 champion, Mateo Pulcini. pic.twitter.com/lGFrD5zkCa
— Latin America Amateur Championship (@LAAC_Golf) January 18, 2026
“It was a lot of nerves coming in,” Pulcini said. “As always, I tried to have fun, to laugh. Being in that position I was dreaming of at the beginning of the week, why not take advantage and enjoy?”
Pulcini, who played his collegiate golf at D-II Oklahoma Christian before transferring to Arkansas, started Sunday’s final round at Lima Golf Club two shots back of 54-hole leader Segundo Oliva Pinto. But Oliva Pinto’s putter went cold on Sunday as he fired a final-round three-over 73 to finish in fifth place.
Pulcini went out in one under on Sunday and then birdied No. 12 to get to five under. He bogeyed 13 but got a stroke back with a birdie at 14.
Three holes later on No. 17, Pulcini made a championship-saving putt when he drained a 40-foot par putt just moments after Paz made a 25-footer for birdie to tie him for the lead at five under.
¡Virgilio Paz Valdes no se rinde!
Con su birdie al hoyo 17, empata la punta camino al hoyo final.Virgilio Paz Valdes is not giving up!
With this birdie on the 17th, he is all tied up at the top with one hole left to play. pic.twitter.com/HF4j9AqMPP— Latin America Amateur Championship (@LAAC_Golf) January 18, 2026
Three holes later, Pulcini tapped in for another par, this one to win and set up a major-filled 2026 that will start at the Masters.
“We dream to play and to win this,” Pulcini said. “I have no words right now. I’m so happy and so grateful for the people around me.”
On Sunday in Peru, Mateo Pulcini achieved a dream after 74 holes — with help from a lucky break.