Augusto Nunez wins Latinoamerica’s Shell Championship at Trump National Doral

The Latinoamerica Tour’s Shell Championship at Trump National Doral was a very repetitive golf tournament, to an extreme.

However, it was also a very close and entertaining tournament.

Consider:

After round 1, Argentina’s Augusto Nunez led by one stroke over American Jared Wolfe.

After round 2, Nunez still led by one stroke over Wolfe.

After round 3, Nunez once again led by one stroke over Wolfe.

After round 4, the final 18 holes: Nunez held on to win by one stroke ahead of — you guessed it — Wolfe.

The victory by Nunez on the Grand Palm Course at Trump National Doral clinched the No. 1 spot for him in the Latinoamerica’s Order of Merit and made him the tour’s Player of the Year. Nunez finished in the top 10 in 11 of 16 Latinoamerica events this season and put together 15 consecutive under-par rounds at one point.

“It has been an incredible year,” Nunez said, after finishing the season-closing Shell Championship at 66-66-69-70 for a 13-under-par total of 271.

Going into Sunday’s final hole Nunez held a three-stroke lead over playing partner Wolfe. Nunez smacked his drive 25 yards past Wolfe on the extremely difficult par-4, where a postage stamp-sized green is surrounded by a moat of water.

Up ahead, trouble was just one splash away for both players.

Wolfe, hitting first from the fairway, nicely put his approach 24 feet from the pin. Nunez left his approach short and in a green-side bunker. With a bad lie, Nunez’s blast from the trap was some 35 feet short and Wolfe would get down in two putts. Nunez left his first putt five feet from the pin but, inexplicably, rammed his putt two feet past. He took his time and gathered himself and made the two-footer.

Wolfe finished the 18th at even-par 4 while Nunez took a double-bogey 6, good enough for the one-stroke victory thanks to the three-shot lead going into the 18th.

“I got nervous on the first short putt,” Nunez admitted, “and then I was also nervous on the final putt.”

The two players, who battled each other fiercely throughout the tournament, finished with a hug and good wishes to each other after their four-day showdown.

Wolfe’s second-place total was 66-67-69-70—272. Patrick Flavin took home third place at 69-69-68-67—273 with MJ Maguire fourth at 67-70-70-68—275.

Sunday’s first-place finish gives Nunez an exemption into all Korn Ferry Tour events in the coming season. The Korn Ferry Tour ranks just below the PGA Tour and is considered the main pathway onto golf’s biggest stage.

Asked when we would see him on the PGA Tour, Nunez said, “Hopefully, in a very short time.”