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Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra became one of LIV Golf’s top names over the weekend after winning the LIV Bangkok event. The golfer, who turned professional in June this year, outplayed ace players like Patrick Reed, Paul Casey, and Richard Bland to take the win. The 22-year-old Spaniard bagged a whopping $4 million in prize money for winning the breakaway series event in Thailand.
It is pertinent to note that the Spaniard was struggling on the LIV Golf Tour. Having made four starts, Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra had failed to finish inside the top 20 in all the LIV events he attended. However, he came through as a pro on Sunday to play the final round. Having finished three-under 69, he held former US Masters champion Patrick Reed by three strokes at Stonehill Golf Club.
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Who is Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra?
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra of Spain is LIV Golf’s newest sensation. The 22-year-old played the round of his career on Sunday to win in Bangkok. But how did he get there?
Lopez-Chacarra is a former All-American at Oklahoma State. The 22-year-old scaled his way up as an amateur golfer while in college. The Spaniard reached a high of number two in the World Amateur Golf Rankings before deciding to turn pro. He joined LIV Golf in June on a reported three-year contract. The golfer seemed to be double-minded about the decision as he had just announced that he would be returning for a fifth year at Oklahoma State.
He was reconsidering his final year of eligibility at Oklahoma State despite qualifying for the Korn Ferry Tour through the PGA Tour University rankings. Ultimately, he chose against it and decided to turn pro. But his start was not the best. After four starts on the LIV Golf Tour, Lopez-Chacarra finished no better than 24th in his first four starts. He was visibly struggling in the 48-player field. This, however, changed over the weekend.
The 22-year-old built a five-stroke lead at Stonehill Golf Club in Bangkok, and closed in 69. Apart from the individual win, he also helped teammates Sergio Garcia, Abraham Ancer, and Carlos Diaz to their first title win as a team in the series. The ex-Oklahoma State player finally seems to be at home in the event. Having bagged a massive pay check, it’s safe to say that the youth will arrive in Saudi Arabia for next week's LIV Golf Invitational-Jeddah as a millionaire.
Chacarra on his decision to turn pro
Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra seems to have adapted well at LIV Golf. He has now outplayed a field filled with stars and former champions. He was more than excited to join LIV Golf. Speaking ahead of his move to the Saudi-backed series, the then college student called it a dream come true.
Speaking to the media about his decision to turn pro at 22, Chacarra said that it wasn’t an easy decision.
“It wasn’t easy, but I feel this was the best for me and for my future, and what LIV is doing is something unbelievable. The PGA Tour University doesn’t give you much; it can just give you six events, and then if you don’t play good – one of my best friends Austin Eckroat was playing Monday qualifying all year, and getting the opportunity to play with Sergio, one of my heroes, and then Abraham and Carlos for a couple years here and learning with the best players.”
Following the win, all eyes will now be on Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra in Jeddah, where LIV Golf will play its final event of the season.
