Alvaro Ortiz, Toto Gana share Latin America Amateur lead
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico and Toto Gana of Chile handled the breezy conditions Saturday to share the lead in the Latin America Amateur Championship and go into the final round with a spot in the Masters at stake.
Ortiz, a junior at Arkansas, started playing conservatively when the wind picked up at Panama Golf Club and shot a 3-under 67. Gana picked up two birdies down the stretch to salvage a 69.
They were at 2-under 208, one shot ahead of 18-year-old Joaquin Niemann of Chile, who had a 67.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The winner gets an invitation to the Masters and is exempt into the final stage of qualifying for the U.S. Open and British Open.
Ortiz is the younger brother of Carlos Ortiz, who has played on the PGA Tour the last two years. He has represented Mexico each of the last two times in the World Amateur Team Championship.