PNGA Player of the Year Crisologo repeats at South American Amateur

Canadian standout Chris Crisologo is proving to be an unbeatable force on one of the world’s southernmost continents.

The Richmond, B.C.-native and 2018 PNGA Men’s Player of the Year rallied to defend the prestigious South American Amateur championship Jan. 13 in Chile.

After starting the final round three strokes off the lead, the 22-year-old Crisologo fired a bogey-free 3-under-par 69 to catch Costa Rica’s Luis Gagne at 7-under for the tournament.

Gagne’s errant approach shot on the second sudden-death playoff hole paved the way for Crislogo to complete the comeback at Club de Golf Los Leones in Chile.

“This is a different victory, it’s a very different course,” Crislogo told reporters after his victory. “It was a privilege to be here and it was a very fun week at the end.”

Crisologo became just the second golfer to win the South American Amateur in back-to-back seasons, joining Argentina’s Tomas Cocha, who repeated in 2010, the first year the tournament was changed from match play to 72 holes of stroke play.

Last year, Crislogo captured his first South American Amateur title with a four-stroke victory at Martindale Country Club in Argentina.

He will be eligible to play in the European Amateur Championship next June in Austria.