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Paolo UggettiESPN
LA ROMANA, Dominican Republic — Abel Gallegos couldn’t hide his smile. As the defending champion of the Latin American Amateur Championship held his opening news conference Wednesday, Gallegos knew everyone wanted to talk about what had changed since he won the 2020 tournament in Mayakoba that granted him a spot in both the Masters and The Open. Some things were more evident than others.
“I think I made a very positive change, I lost about 15 kilograms [33 pounds],” he said. “So here we are, a new Abel at a new LAAC.”
Just over 24 hours after he spoke to the media, Gallegos breathed a sigh of relief as his par putt on the final hole of his first round dropped in, giving him an opening-round 70, good enough to be tied for 11th. He is one of only 18 players finished the first round under par.
In the past two years, Gallegos has undergone a transformation that’s not exclusive to his physical makeup. The 19-year-old is two weeks from turning 20. He’s moved from his small town of Veinticinco de Mayo in Buenos Aires to Florida in order to train, learn English and direct all his efforts toward becoming a professional golfer. First, though, his goal is to try to repeat at LAAC, something no player has ever done.
“It was a complicated decision. I’m from a small town; family and friends are always close and around,” Gallegos said of leaving for Florida. “But I felt that if I wanted to dedicate myself to this, I needed to be in the States.”
There was an immediate culture shock. At first, Gallegos felt somewhat lonely — and homesick.
“It was a hard decision for us parents, but he was motivated,” his father, Abel Gallegos Sr., said. “We knew he had to ‘cross the pond,’ as we say in Buenos Aires, to keep getting better.”
Motivation allowed Gallegos to…
Source : espn
