My Beginning With Golf

My days as a golfer started back in 1980 when my father took my brother and me to the Valle Arriba Golf Club in Caracas. My interest for the game grew from day one and frequent practice sessions became my day to day past time.

In my early junior days I started competing, my father gave me and my brother his full support and traveled to tournaments with us year round. At 16, I accomplished my first important international victory when I participated in the team that won the South American Jr. Championship at El Penon, Colombia, my second place finish in the individual gave me high hopes and enthusiasm to keep on working on my game. The following year I finished T8 at the prestigious Jr. World that is played at Torrey Pines South in San Diego, this high finish, added to the Junior National Championship of my home country and a very important referral from David Toms, who I met and played with in the late 80's, helped me receive a Golf Scholarship at Louisiana State University (LSU) for my bachelor degree in business, during my "Tiger years" I had the opportunity to participate in the best tournaments of Division I College Golf, including 3 trips to the prestigious NCAA's. My experience in College Golf was incredible, during those years I also played for my country's National Team and I had the opportunity to travel to many great countries and cultures like Japan, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Germany, Ecuador, Uruguay, Mexico and all over the United States. I also had the opportunity to compete with players like Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Justin Leonard, Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Notah Begay III, Brian Gay, Chris Riley, Chris Couch among many others.

In 1994 I finished and obtained my Bachelor Degree in Business at LSU and I decided to head back home to start a career in the business world while continuing my top amateur years. That very same year I won a tournament of the PGA of Venezuela with scores of 70-68-65-67. During those years I was successful at combining my business ventures with my golfing career. In 1995 I finished second at the Amateur Championship after I almost covered a mid tournament deficit of 6 shot with rounds of back to back 68's. In 1996 I finished T4 at the Copa Las Americas at the Doral Resort in Miami and I finished the year as the top amateur player, that same year I skipped my participation at the Amateur World Cup in Philippines because in October I started my Master in Business Administration (MBA) that would get me away from the game for almost two years. 

At my return to competitive Golf, once I finished my MBA in 1998, I won the Pro-Am del Junko in Caracas where I finished as the top amateur player by 8 shots and I missed the Professional Playoff by a single stroke after shooting the best final round on Sunday with a 67, this victory was very motivating to continue competing. In 2000 I finally got the chance back to participate at the Amateur World Cup in  Berlin, Germany, and even though I didn't bring with me my best game I managed to finish among the top 50 positions among over 250 participants from around the world. 

In 2002 I decided to move to  Miami, Florida with my wife Daniela, and after settling down I started practicing again. In may 2003 I felt that my game was ready to compete again and I played at the South Florida Amateur Doubles Championship with my brother Juan at the Blue Monster Golf Course at Doral, with scores of 69-63, we won the tournament by two strokes after shooting 7 under on the last 10 holes, it was the most fun I've had on the golf course in a long time! 

Now, I have started a new chapter in my relationship with this great game... I have decided to dedicate myself to teach the game that has given so much to me. After long hours of preparation and hard work I have accomplished to get to the Lead Master Instructor level at the Jim McLean Golf School at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida. Jim McLean is considered one of the top 3 Golf instructors over the last two decades and the Golf School is considered by USA Today and CNN as the #1 Golf School in the country. I have and outstanding team of professionals around me and the best technology and place to teach that anybody could dream to have, I am constantly traveling to many seminars and golf summits, sharing ideas and knowledge with many other top instructors and enjoying my never-ending journey to become the best Golf coach / intructor that I can be.