Renato Naula becomes first Ecuadorian to compete on PGA TOUR

As a golf-loving kid in Ecuador, Renato Naula had a life-sized poster of Rory McIlroy in his bedroom.

“It was kind of scary,” Naula laughed.

Naula’s fascination with the game has propelled him to make history. This week, he debuts on the PGA TOUR at the Mexico Open at Vidanta, becoming the first Ecuadorian to compete in a PGA TOUR event.

Naula, a sophomore at the University of San Francisco, earned his spot at Vidanta Vallarta by winning the VALUE Next Generation by TaylorMade Qualifying Tournament (the Mexico Open at Vidanta allotted a sponsor exemption to the winner). After holing out on the final green, he said, his mind raced as he experienced a state of shock. He thought back to learning the game with his brother at a par-3 course in their hometown of Guayaquil. Soccer is Ecuador’s predominant sport – “you’re playing in the streets, you’re playing in the field,” he said – but the brothers had a natural knack for golf, so they kept going and going.

Naula continued to progress. In 2018, he qualified for the Junior Open Championship at St. Andrews (Eden Course) as Ecuador’s top-ranked junior golfer. Through that experience, he met 2017 Open champion Jordan Spieth; they got a picture together, and Nuala has counted himself as a Spieth fan since.

This week, he’ll gain fans of his own.

Naula’s achievement has resonated in a country of roughly 18 million, whose notable athletes include race-walker Jefferson Pérez (who won the country’s first two Olympic medals) and the late sprinter Álex Quiñónez.

He looks forward to making his country proud this week and beyond.

“It’s just nice to see how many people are invested right now, even people that don’t really know what’s going on with golf,” Naula said. “They see this achievement and they know something is going on, so it’s just exciting to realize that people are taking into consideration more, playing golf and everything that’s around it.

“Being the first (to compete on TOUR) means a lot. It’s a lot of motivation from people back home, and it means a lot to me and for my whole country.”

Naula played a practice round Monday at Vidanta Vallarta with Mexico’s Alvaro Ortiz, a Korn Ferry Tour member who won the 2021 Mexico Open (a PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event at the time). He played Tuesday with Colombia’s Nico Echavarria, who earned his first TOUR title at last year’s Puerto Rico Open.

“It’s good to see what they’re doing,” Naula said, “and know what you have to do to play well.”

Naula’s resume is quite decorated. He earned a silver medal at the South American Junior Championship in 2017 and 2018, and he was ranked Ecuador’s top amateur player in 2020. His college results are steadily improving, highlighted by a third-place finish at last fall’s Mark Simpson Colorado Invitational.

Now he gets a taste of golf’s highest level, carrying the Ecuadorian flag on a PGA TOUR leaderboard for the first time.

“It’s my first PGA TOUR event, so I’m very excited about it, and at the same time, realizing that I’m here for a reason, and to go out and compete against these players,” Naula said. “It’s a challenge, but I’ll take it.”