Benítez is back on track, eyes strong inaugural season on PGA TOUR Americas

A PGA TOUR Latinoamérica champion at the age of 19, when he claimed the 2018 Visa Argentina Open by three shots to become the only teenager ever to win on Tour, Mexico’s Isidro Benítez is still quite young. He is set to enter the 2024 PGA TOUR Americas season as a 25-year-old, eager to start a new chapter in a professional career he started right out of high school.

“I’m very excited. For me, it will be very important to turn the page after so many years on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and play on PGA TOUR Americas, which is a brand new Tour. So, right from the beginning, I’ll have a different approach and I think that will be very good for me,” says the lefty who hails from the city of Puebla.

The way he earned his PGA TOUR Americas card was far from memorable, making only four cuts in 12 Latin America starts last season. He went on to finish 47th on the Points List to secure exempt status for all six events on the Latin American Swing, which kicks off in just five weeks with the Bupa Championship at Tulum.

“I struggled to make cuts (last season), especially when I was around the number,” said Benítez describing a mediocre season for a player of his abilities. “I was playing the worst golf of my life, but after much effort and a lot of work, the game is feeling much better.”

Once the Latin season was done, he went to the lab, working endless hours and going through every possible detail to get his game back in shape. After putting his game down to the test at the higher levels, the improvements are evident. Last November, he made his first cut on the PGA TOUR at the World Wide Technology Championship in Los Cabos, Mexico, and two weeks ago he finished just one shot outside the top 10 on the Korn Ferry Tour event in Panama.

“The hard work is starting to pay off. Every time I got out to play at one of these events, I feel more and more comfortable. I feel I can compete, and I feel I can win,” Benítez adds with confidence.

A four-time champion on the competitive Mexican Tour, Benítez can’t wait to begin the PGA TOUR Americas season at home. “It will be incredible to start in Mexico. It is always nice to start at home, especially at PGA Riviera Maya, which is one of the best courses of the year. I am very excited and looking forward to getting started,” says Benítez, who expects fierce competition with the top players from PGA TOUR Latinoamérica and PGA TOUR Canada coming together on the new Tour.

“I think (PGA TOUR Americas) raises the bar a lot,” he adds, certain of the challenge ahead.

The players starting the PGA TOUR Americas inaugural season will be looking to finish the six-event Latin America Swing inside the Points List Top 60 who will secure exempt status for the ten events on the North America Swing. The Fortinet Cup’s leading 10 players at the end of the season will secure 2025 Korn Ferry Tour cards, moving a step closer to their dream of making it to the PGA TOUR.