Santiago De la Fuente is one of those young golfers who seems to be riding the perfect wave of momentum this year.
After securing a landmark victory at the 2024 Latin American Amateur Championship and making appearances at The Masters, The Open, and the U.S. Open, the 25-year-old Mexican star decided to turn professional and step into a whole new realm. His next big stage? The International Series.
And let’s just say, his first outing didn’t disappoint.
In his debut at the Black Mountain Championship, De la Fuente wasted no time making his mark.
With an impressive score of 11 under par, he’s tied for seventh place, only two strokes behind the leaders—India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar and Thailand’s Suteepat Prateeptienchai.
A stellar opening round of seven-under 65, featuring six birdies, one eagle, and just one dropped shot, followed by a bogey-free 68, has put him in contention early on.
When asked about the experience, De la Fuente couldn’t hide his excitement: “Unreal. It has been a great year honestly. I was dreaming of having a year like this, it is such a great opportunity to open so many doors.
Being able to play three majors, a couple of (pro) events, and then The International Series.”
The International Series is not just any tour for a rising star like De la Fuente—it’s a proving ground.
With 10 elevated events scattered throughout the season, it offers a golden opportunity for players to climb the ranks and potentially secure a spot in the LIV Golf League.
For Santiago, the stakes are clear, but his focus remains grounded: “It doesn’t matter where you go, there’s always going to be great players and somebody’s going to have a good week.
So I just try and do all I can do, and focus on all I can control, and we will see at the end of the week.”
De la Fuente is far from the only young talent looking to use The International Series as a stepping stone to bigger things.
This week’s field features the 2024 Amateur Champion Jakob Skov Olesen, newly-turned Chinese pro Sampson Zheng, and rising stars like Rayhan Thomas from India and Germany’s Jonas Baumgartner.
The International Series represents an essential pathway for golfers looking to secure professional status, especially for those without the privilege of fully established credentials.
De la Fuente understands this all too well: “Playing The International Series is such a good pathway for pro golf right now. I don’t have any status, so being able to keep playing tournaments is a great opportunity.”
Santiago’s journey to this point hasn’t been your run-of-the-mill story. After playing college golf at Arkansas Tech University and then transferring to the University of Houston, he’s following in the footsteps of other players who see The International Series as a launchpad to success.
And while his future in golf is still unfolding, De la Fuente has one eye firmly set on LIV Golf.
With friends like Alvaro Ortiz, younger brother of LIV Golf’s Carlos Ortiz, and experience playing practice rounds with the likes of Abraham Ancer, he’s certainly not a stranger to the LIV buzz.
As he puts it: “LIV Golf is good, with all the great players they have. I just want to play golf, to play tournaments and get better and better, and one day be at the highest level.
“Carlos is a good guy, I know him well, but the one I talk to a lot is his younger brother, Alvaro.
Me and Alvaro are really good friends, really tight. I’m pretty sure he (Carlos) is having a lot of fun on LIV Golf.
He is getting to play with all the great players that are there and he has been rewarded for working hard.”
But for now, it’s about making the most of every opportunity that comes his way. Even the challenges, like the gruelling 30-hour trek from Houston to Hua Hin, haven’t dampened his spirits.
“Honestly, it has been such a unique experience, I have not travelled by myself in a long time. This is unreal, to get to play such a quality tournament here.
“I am just playing what I can play and see what happens. I have two weeks here and for sure it will be a great two weeks.
This week is stacked with quality players and next week (International Series Thailand) there is even more so it will be exciting to see. I am so happy to be here.”
The road hasn’t been easy. Missing the cut at all three majors stung, but De la Fuente took it as part of the learning curve. “It is incredible, getting to play those tournaments already that not many players get to play in at all.
And it is more than just golf, it is the entire environment, the atmosphere. So everything is a little bit more delicate there.
It was very tough. I felt right. But sometimes we try to do too much instead of doing our own thing, and that is when we do not play our best. That was a good lesson I brought with me after playing the majors.”
With the Black Mountain Championship being the fifth event of The International Series this year, Santiago still has plenty of chances to make waves.
His focus remains on improving his game and continuing his rise through the ranks.
After all, the road to success in professional golf is long, but for De la Fuente, every step is a chance to get closer to the top.
For more on The International Series, head to www.internationalseries.com. You won’t want to miss a moment of the action.
