Rafael Echenique

JOINED TOUR

• Korn Ferry Tour: 2003
• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2013

International Victories (5)

• 2001 Llao Llao Classic in Bariloche
• 2004 Abierto de Salta in Salta
• 2006 Telia Challenge Waxholm in Stockholm, Sweden
• 2006 101st Abierto VISA de Argentina
• 2007 Abierto de Mendoza

National Teams

• 2009 World Cup

Personal

• Says his biggest thrill in golf would be to win the Masters Tournament.
• Lists Eduardo Romero and Angel Cabrera as his heroes.
• Credits his father for giving him his start in golf.
• Would be a professional car racer if he were not a golfer.

Special Interests

• Car racing, gardening, having a good asado with family

CURRENT YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Argentina: Shot a final-round, 7-under 65 at Canuelas GC in Buenos Aires in late-January, and that led to a T9 with two others. Earned exempt status for the first half of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.

Career Highlights

2021 Season

Saw action in three PGA TOUR Latinoamerica events in the 2020 portion of the wraparound schedule. Made two of three cuts and posted two top-25 performances.

2020 Season

• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Argentina: Shot a final-round, 7-under 65 at Canuelas GC in Buenos Aires in late-January, and that led to a T9 with two others. Earned exempt status for the first half of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season.

2019 Season

Played in 10 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica tournaments, with one top-25 in his four made cuts. Ended the season 121st on the Order of Merit.

• Bupa Match Play: At Playa Paraiso GC, lost in the first round to No. 1 seed Tom Whitney, 2 and 1.

2018 Season

Made just six cuts in 13 starts, though three top-25 finishes—including a T9 helped him finish No. 67 on the Order of Merit.

• Bupa Match Play: Lost in his opening-round match to Colin Featherstone, 4 and 2, at Playa Paraiso GC.
• Costa Rica Classic: Parlayed four straight rounds in the 60s at the Reserva Conchal GC into a T9 finish, his first top-10 of the season.
• PTLA Qualifying Tournament-Argentina: Earned PGA TOUR Latinoamérica status with a seventh-place finish at the Qualifying Tournament played in his home country.

2017 Season

Made four cuts in 16 starts on his return to the European Tour. Best finish was T40 at the BMW South Africa Open in January. Only start on PGA TOUR Latinoamérica resulted in a T52 finish at the VISA Open de Argentina.

2016 Season

Finished the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica ranked 23rd on the Order of Merit. Made the cut in 10 of 14 starts. Highlight of the year was earning exempt status on the European Tour with a T11 finish at the Q-School final stage played in Spain in November. Finished T65 at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in his only Korn Ferry Tour start and was T63 at the BMW International Open in his only European Tour start.

• Copa Diners Club International: Had a T4 in Ecuador on the strength of 67-69-66-70 scores at Quito Tennis and GC.
• Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship: Finished T65 in the Dominican Republic in his only Korn Ferry Tour start of the year.
• 58 Abierto Mexicano de Golf: Had a streak of 19 consecutive cuts made snapped in Mexico when he missed the chance to set a new PGA TOUR Latinoamérica record, not making it to the weekend. With 19 consecutive cuts made, matched the Tour's previous record set by Sebastián Vázquez in 2015.
• Casa de Campo Dominican Republic Open: Entered the final round tied for the lead, with Timothy O'Neal. Carded a 75 to finish four strokes behind in a three-way T2 in May. The runner-up finish was his best career PGA TOUR Latinoamérica outing.
• Guatemala Stella Artois Open: Entered the final round alone in second place at La Reunion Golf Resort, four shots behind leader John Young Kim. Stumbled on the last day, shooting a 2-over 74 to drop into a T6 with Samuel Del Val and Anthony Paolucci.
• BMW International Open: Finished T63 at the BMW International Open in his only start on the European Tour.
• European Tour Qualifying School: His highlight of the year was earning exempt status on the European Tour with a T11 finish at the Q-School final stage played in Spain in November.

2015 Season

Had four top-10s, eight top-25s and 15 cuts made in 18 PGA TOUR Latinoamérica starts. Finished the season ranked 30th on the Order of Merit.

• 110 VISA Open de Argentina presentado por OSDE: Shot back-to-back, even-par 70s on the weekend to T8 at Argentina's national open.
• Roberto De Vicenzo Punta del Este Open Copa NEC: Two under-par rounds 67-68 went with first- and third round 71s to T7 in Uruguay, with Evan Harmeling, James Vargas, Diego Velasquez, Brady Watt and amateur Juan Alvarez.
• Mundo Maya Open presentado por Heineken: Opened 67-69-69 and shared second place, five shots behind 54-hole leader Daniel Stapff. Fired a final-round 72 to drop into a T9.
• Hyundai-BBVA 89 Abierto de Chile: Three 68s and a third-round 66 lead to a T4 at Los Leones GC in Santiago.
• BMW International Open: Missed cut at the European Tour's BMW International Open in June.

2014 Season

Finished his first full PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season ranked 32nd on the Order of Merit. Made the cut in 12 of 16 starts and had two top-10s and four top-25s.

• Personal Classic: Finished T6 in Buenos Aires, shooting a final-round 72 in the abbreviated, weather-shortened event at Las Praderas Club.
• Bridgestone America's Golf Cup: Teamed up with his countryman Emilio Domínguez to win the inaugural playing of the team event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October. Domínguez sank a spectacular 22-footer for eagle on the 72nd hole for a one-stroke win at Olivos GC. The team finished the unofficial PGA TOUR Latinoamérica event, played under the format of four-ball, at 38-under.
• Stella Artois Open: Finished T3 at La Reunión Resort in March. Shot 69-69-65 to enter the final round sharing the 54-hole lead with Armando Favela but carded a 73 to finish two strokes behind Favela.

2013 Season

Made six cuts in 21 starts, including one WD, on the Korn Ferry Tour. Finished the season ranked No. 152 on the money list to lose his Korn Ferry Tour card. Took advantage of his Korn Ferry Tour status to become a member of PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, where he played the seven tournaments on the second half of the Tour's schedule to finish No. 31 in the Order of Merit. Closed the season with three consecutive top-10 finishes.

• 108 VISA Open de Argentina presentado por Peugeot: At Argentina's national open, was. At the season-ending tournament, tied for the lead for the first two rounds and was solo second after 54 holes before finishing T7 with Puma Dominguez, six shots behind Marcelo Rozo's winning pace.
• Personal Classic presented by BlackBerry: Finished T3 at La Reserva Cardales in Buenos Aires. Opening and closing 66s were good enough to tie with Bronson Burgoon, Maxi Godoy and Matias O'Curry, three shots behind winner Fabian Gomez.
• Chile Open: Opened with an even-par 72 and then was 10-under the rest of the way (67-68-71) to T6 with Juan Cerda, three shots out of the three-man playoff Timothy O'Neal won.
• BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by SYNNEX Corporation: On the Korn Ferry Tour, finished T23 in South Carolina.
• Stadion Classic at UGA: Best finish of the season came in Athens, Ga.

2012 Season

After losing his European Tour card went back to the European Challenge Tour, where he finished No. 57 after making 10 cuts in 19 starts.

• 107 Visa Argentine Open presented by Peugeot: In his lone PGA TOUR Latinoamérica start, finished T26 at his national open.
• PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament: Finished T73 in December to earn Korn Ferry Tour status for the 2013 season.
• The Open Championship: Finished T45 at Royal Lytham & St Annes in his third career major championship start.
• Norwegian Challenge: His only top-10 finish on the ECT season was third at the Norwegian Challenge in Trondheim, Norway in August.

2011 Season

After five consecutive seasons as an exempt member, he lost his European Tour status by finishing No. 138 on the season-ending ranking. Had three top-25 finishes and 13 cuts made in 28 starts.

• Avantha Masters: Was T22 at the Avantha Masters on the Asian Tour. Held a share of fifth place going into the final round until a 76 on the last day was his undoing.
• ABU Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship: His best finish was T11 at the ABU Dhabi Golf Championship in January.

2010 Season

• U.S. Open Championship: In his second major championship start, missed the cut.
• Nordea Scandinavian Masters: Runner-up by one stroke to Richard Johnson at the Nordea Scandanavian Masters.

2009 Season

Earned the European Tour Shot of the Year distinction for his albatross at the BMW International Open.

• The Open Championship: Made his major championship debut but missed the cut.
• BMW International Open: Finished runner-up to Nick Dougherty at the BMW International Open. Carded a final-round 10-under-par 62, which included an albatross at the par-5 18th hole, to give him a European Tour record back-nine score of 27.
• BMW PGA Championship: Made a double-eagle at the BMW Championship on the European Tour.

2007 Season

First full year as a member of the European Tour saw him make the cut in 11 of 26 starts.

• Movistar Panama Championship: Finished T53 on the Korn Ferry Tour's event in Panama. It was his first Korn Ferry Tour made cut.
• TCL Classic: Best finish was a second-place showing at the TCL Classic.

2006 Season

• Argentine Open: Finished the year with a victory at the 101st Argentina Open at Pilar Golf Club, an event co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Americas and the European Challenge Tour.
• Telia Challenge Waxholm: Won the Telia Challenge Waxholm on the European Challenge Tour.

2005 Season

Played on the Tour de las Americas and the European Challenge Tour.

2004 Season

Played on the Tour de las Americas and the European Challenge Tour.

2003 Season

Rookie on the Korn Ferry Tour. Made one cut in five starts.

2002 Season

Played on both the Argentina Professional Tour and TOUR de las Americas between 1998 to 2002.

2001 Season

• Llao Lao Classic: Won his first career title as a professional by defeating Angel Cabrera 3 & 2 at the Llao Lao Classic final, a Match Play Argentine Tour event played in Bariloche, Argentina.

Amateur Highlights

• Represented Argentina at the 1998 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan. Won the individual portion of the tournament, with Argentina finishing fourth.
• Was the runner-up in the Boys 15-17 division at the 1998 Junior World Championships in La Jolla, Calif.
• Was the No. 1-ranked Argentine amateur in 1999, at age 17.
• Won the 1996 Casa de Campo Junior Championship in the Dominican Republic.

Q SCHOOL GRADUATE

• PGA TOUR Latinoamérica: 2020