University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Zach Del Bello
Marzilio Leads UNT Duo at Latin America Amateur
1/19/2022 9:00:00 AM | Men's Golf
CASA DE CAMPO, Dominican Republic - UNT sophomore Vicente Marzilio will add to his list of prestigious tournaments he's competed in on Thursday when he tees off in the first round of the Latin America Amateur Championship, as the reigning Conference USA champion and U.S. Amateur participant will compete in a field of 102 golfers, including North Texas signee Philippe Thorin, who will join the program in August.
The Latin America Amateur winner 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.
"LAAC is probably the biggest opportunity for our region, especially because of the prize for winning the tournament," Marzilio said. "Getting punched for the Masters and the Open by winning is certainly a life-changing opportunity, and I'm happy to be part of the field this week. It's my first time playing in it, but I'm feeling really good about my game and the possibility of getting it done. The possibility is a hard feeling to describe. The prize is just so big for an amateur."
The Teeth of the Dog will play as Par-72, 7,210-yard course and the event will conclude with the 72nd hole on Sunday, with a 36-hole cut on Friday to the top-50 golfers. UNT fans can keep up with the pair each day with a two-hour live broadcast on ESPN2 Thursday, Friday and Sunday and ESPNews on Saturday.
UNT head coach Brad Stracke said he's excited to see one of his current stars and future stars competing for such high stakes against some of the world's best.
"The Latin America Amateur Championship is an incredible opportunity to qualify for the Masters and The Open Championship," Stracke said. "Vicente and Philippe just played in a tournament this past week and will be ready to make a run."
The Latin America Amateur winner 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.
"LAAC is probably the biggest opportunity for our region, especially because of the prize for winning the tournament," Marzilio said. "Getting punched for the Masters and the Open by winning is certainly a life-changing opportunity, and I'm happy to be part of the field this week. It's my first time playing in it, but I'm feeling really good about my game and the possibility of getting it done. The possibility is a hard feeling to describe. The prize is just so big for an amateur."
The Teeth of the Dog will play as Par-72, 7,210-yard course and the event will conclude with the 72nd hole on Sunday, with a 36-hole cut on Friday to the top-50 golfers. UNT fans can keep up with the pair each day with a two-hour live broadcast on ESPN2 Thursday, Friday and Sunday and ESPNews on Saturday.
UNT head coach Brad Stracke said he's excited to see one of his current stars and future stars competing for such high stakes against some of the world's best.
"The Latin America Amateur Championship is an incredible opportunity to qualify for the Masters and The Open Championship," Stracke said. "Vicente and Philippe just played in a tournament this past week and will be ready to make a run."
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
Friday, November 04