Schonbaum, Benedetti atop Latin American Am.

LIMA, Peru — Andy Schonbaum of Argentina and Andrés Martínez Benedetti of Venezuela every posted a 4-under 66 in comparatively calm situations Thursday to share the lead after the opening spherical of the Latin American Beginner Championship.

The winner earns spots within the Masters, U.S. Open and the Open Championship this yr.

Schonbaum, who performed a decade in the past at Jacksonville State and his making his tenth look within the Latin American Beginner, had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the again 9 of Lima Golf Membership.

Martínez Benedetti, a 16-year-old making his debut in his event, additionally made a late push. He began on the again 9 and had three birdies on the entrance 9 to affix Schonbaum atop the leaderboard.

Gabriel Palacios of Guatemala, the highest-ranked participant within the discipline at No. 25 on the planet beginner rating, had 5 birdies and three bogeys in his spherical of 68 that left him tied with the Mexican duo of Carlos Treviño Derbez and Eduardo Derbez.