Santiago De la Fuente is an amateur golfer who was born on November 18, 2001, in Ocotlan, Mexico. He began playing golf at the age of three, under the coaching of his father Gerardo, and by the age of nine, he began playing in golf events.
Until his mid-teens, his father was his only golf coach, after which he began being coached by professionals and finally bought his full set of clubs. Reportedly, he shot 60 in a Mexican event when he was 16 years old.
De la Fuente received a scholarship to attend the University of Houston after playing golf for two years at Arkansas Tech. He participated in the Palmer Cup in 2023 as well. During his collegiate golf career, he earned 19 awards, including the Player of the Year award from the American Athletic Conference and All-America honors.
His most recent victory came from birdies on the last two holes at the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship. He defeated Omar Morales with a two-stroke victory, through which he made his first major appearance at the 2024 Masters Tournament; however, he failed to make the cut.
Also after Alvaro Ortiz, the only 2019 LAAC Champion to make the cut at the Masters, De la Fuente is the second Mexican to win the Latin America Amateur Championship. As of April 2024, De La Fuente is ranked No. 38 in the world, according to Golfweek.
Santiago De la Fuente’s Caddie
Santiago De la Fuente’s caddie is Pepe Lopez as of April 2024.
Pepe Lopez is the brother of LPGA star Gaby Lopez; he is one of the primary components of De la Fuente's career progress. However, not much is known about Lopez.
Lopez was his caddie during the 2024 Mexico Open at Vidanta too, where De la Fuente made the most of the chance he got from his sponsor exemption into the Mexico Open at Vidanta Vallarta Golf Course, which he earned after winning the 2024 Latin America Amateur Championship.
After rounds of 67-69 to reach 6-under, De la Fuente made the cut and was in T9 position going into the weekend. The senior from Houston achieved 2-under 69 in the second round after shooting 4-under 67 in the first, totaling ten birdies and four bogeys. He finished the tournament in T46 place after shooting 72–70.
De la Fuente won both the American Invitational and the Border Olympics in 2023. Besides winning the 2024 LAAC, he also finished solo fifth at the 2024 Southwestern Invitational.
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