Argentine Open: On Sunday in Argentina, a spot in the Open Championship for next summer was confirmed.
Zack Fischer, a member of the Korn Ferry Tour, won the Visa Argentine Open by one stroke at the Nordelta Golf Club in Buenos Aires to receive an exemption into 2023 Open at Royal Liverpool. Fischer was competing in his debut PGA Tour Latinoamerica event.
Fischer, who will begin his second career major championship from July 20–23 in England, said: “I’m just over the moon right now. (He missed the cut in his major debut at the 2013 U.S. Open.)
Fischer beat Linus Lilliedahl of Sweden with a 4-under 68 in the final round. Myles Creighton and Santiago Bauni were the next closest players at 12-under, six shots behind Fischer. Lilliedahl came close to chipping in for a birdie that would have forced a playoff before sinking an 18-footer for his par. Fischer’s victory was sealed by a two-putt par from about 50 feet away.
The pressure to make his putt in order for me to make mine was definitely too much, according to Fischer, who not-so-calmly rolled in the 4-footer. “When it finally fell into the hole, it was a fantastic feeling.”
Fischer has spent the majority of his professional golf career competing on the Korn Ferry Tour, where he has made 116 starts and had three top-three finishes. Additionally, he won the Q-School medal in both 2013 and 2021. With only eight career starts on the major tour, he hasn’t yet qualified for the PGA Tour.
Fischer lasted four years without status after losing his KFT card in 2017 before making a full return to the developmental tour this past season. Fischer struggled through some difficult times with his game, both physically and mentally, as well as with his finances, during that time when he participated in just four KFT competitions. Last year, he discussed how his wife of eight years, Kaitlin, worked multiple jobs to support the couple while Fischer pursued his pro golf dreams. Kaitlin was working as a graphic designer and wedding videographer when the couple welcomed their first child, daughter Hallie, in February 2021. She was also enrolling in classes to become a court reporter.
To be quite honest, Fischer stated, “I don’t know how she manages to support me through it.” Because golf can literally put you in a rubber room and make you miserable, “there have been some pretty rough times,” she said. “Her just continually being there and loving on me constantly is another job that she has.”
Fischer struggled with a broken driver and a sinus ailment during his passage through Q-School the previous year, but this year, upon his return to the KFT, he ended No. 36 in points thanks to four top-10 finishes in 23 starts.
Why not try to get an important invite till the new KFT season starts in January?
