Oliver Betschart and Eric West have plenty of incentive to hole some putts at the Latin America Amateur Championship in Peru this week.

The winner of the tournament, which starts today, will receive an invitation into the Masters and exemptions into The Open, US Open, The Amateur Championship and the US Amateur Championship.

The runner-up will earn an exemption into Final Qualifying for The Open, US Open and US Amateur Championship, with the top-three finishers receiving an exemption into The Amateur Championship.

Betschart, who is making his second straight appearance at the 72-hole tournament, is proud to represent Bermuda again on the international stage after competing for his country in the Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay, last year.

“Together with Eric West, I’m proud to be representing Bermuda at the Latin America Amateur Championship here in Peru,” Betschart told The Royal Gazette.

“Eric and I have competed together before and it’s special to have the opportunity to represent Bermuda side by side on a stage like this. It’s always enjoyable to experience new places and meet new people, and this week has been no different.”

The 17-year-old missed the cut on his tournament debut in Buenos Aires, Argentina, last year but is hoping for better fortunes this time around as he attempts to navigate a challenging course and formidable field.

“With a field of 108 players from 29 different countries, the competition is incredibly strong,” he said.

“This course asks a lot of you and has been a great test so far, with narrow fairways, long rough and firm greens placing a premium on precision and adaptability. The real challenge this week is being able to adjust to those conditions and stay committed to each shot.”

Betschart is competing in his second overseas tournament of the year after finishing tied for eleventh in the prestigious Junior Orange Bowl International at the Biltmore Golf Course in Florida last week.

West, 42, is making his debut at the event but is no stranger to his surroundings in Peru.

“I love Peru and that’s specifically why I wanted to play in this event,” the former Tour de las Americas player said.

“I’ve been keeping my head down and working on my game. The facility is a 100-year old parkland course surrounded by tall apartment buildings, while course conditions are similar to Bermuda during PGA time.

“I don’t know any of the players in the field but there are a lot of Division 1 college bags around the practice greens, so it’s going to be a shoot-out.”