LIMA, Peru – The Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA today announced that the 12th Latin America Amateur Championship will return to Mayakoba’s El Camaleón course in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, January 14-17, 2027. The Championship was previously held at Mayakoba in 2020.
“Our return to Maykoba signals the Founding Partners’ commitment to having the region’s most talented golfers compete on a world-class stage each year and the El Camaleón course is highly regarded for hosting prestigious championships and tour events,” said Martin Hattrell, Chairman of The R&A on behalf of the Founding Partners. “We are excited to be playing the Latin America Amateur Championship in Mexico once more and look forward to another memorable occasion in 2027.”
Founded by the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA in 2014, the Latin America Amateur Championship was established to further develop amateur golf in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean. The event annually moves to top courses throughout Latin America and showcases the sport’s rising talent in the region, and the champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and exemptions into The Open and the U.S. Open.
Designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2004, Mayakoba’s El Camaleón course has hosted a number of professional events over the years, as well as the 2020 Latin America Amateur won by Argentina’s Abel Gallegos. Described as ‘where the jungle meets the sea,’ the El Camaleón course features tropical jungles, dense mangroves and oceanfront holes split by freshwater canals. The course is highlighted by the iconic par-5 seventh hole, which includes a unique limestone cenote in the fairway.
“Hosting the 2027 LAAC at Mayakoba is a milestone that reaffirms our destination’s status as a premier global hub for ultra-luxury and elite sports,” said Luis Duran, CEO of RLH Properties, the ownership group behind Mayakoba. “As visionary stewards of this unique ecosystem, Mayakoba is dedicated to curating world-class experiences that set a new benchmark for excellence in Mexico. To host this ‘major’ of amateur golf allows us to showcase the unparalleled beauty of El Camaleón while supporting the development of the region’s top talent. We are proud to offer a stage that reflects our unwavering commitment to quality and the enduring value of Mayakoba and Mexico.”
Notable past competitors include Colombia’s Nicolas Echavarria and Sebastian Muñoz, Argentina’s Alejandro Tosti and Chile’s Cristobal Del Solar, Mito Pereira and Joaquin Niemann, the latter of which won the 2018 Championship. In 2019, Alvaro Ortiz became the first player from Mexico to win the Latin America Amateur before Santiago de la Fuente joined him in 2024.
“We are excited to be bring the Latin America Amateur Championship back to Mayakoba and Mexico,” said Andrés Jurado Rivera Torres, President of the Mexico Golf Federation. “Golf in Mexico continues to grow and the return of this Championship to the region will bring golf in Mexico and Latin America back to the world stage.”