A junior rewrites the record in an adult open
The 43rd men's and 22nd women's Aberto do Terras de São José Golfe Clube took place on 23–24 October in Itu, São Paulo state, Brazil. Its standout performance came from 16-year-old Arthur Fernandes of São Fernando Golf Club. He completed 36 holes in 135 strokes, opening with 67 and closing with 68. On a par-72 course, that is nine under par; the Federação Paulista de Golfe (FPGolfe) identifies it as the tournament's scoring record.
Fernandes, ranked second among Brazilian junior golfers at the time, finished 18 strokes ahead of the official men's scratch runner-up. The opening round was hardly straightforward: heavy morning rain on 23 October left the course playing difficult.
An eagle, twelve birdies — and why second place needs explaining
According to FPGolfe, the champion made one eagle and twelve birdies over the 36 holes. His eagle came at the par-4 fifth in round one, where he holed his second shot from approximately 150 yards using a pitching wedge. That is an eagle, not a hole-in-one: the ball went in with his second stroke. Nor does a 9-under total imply exactly nine birdies; the full score reflects every hole played.
There is an important distinction in the runner-up standings. Marcelo Muritiba carded 149 (80 and 69), but the federation states that because he elected to use a golf cart, his score counted only in the handicap competition, not for the scratch awards. Official second place therefore went to 17-year-old host-club player Gustavo dos Santos on 153 (76 and 77). Bernardo Junge also finished on 153 (75 and 78), with dos Santos taking the runner-up award on the better final round, 77 to 78. This is why the official winning margin is reported as 18 strokes even though a lower, ineligible scratch score appears elsewhere in the results.
Juliana Passos controls the women's competition
Juliana Passos of Riacho Grande led from the opening round to win the women's scratch title on 160 strokes (82 and 78). Host-club player Mariani Silva placed second on 166 (85 and 81), with Giovana Fereza of Corujinha third on 171 (84 and 87). FPGolfe called this Passos's fifth victory in 2026 in tournaments counting toward its scratch ranking; that does not mean she has won this particular open five times.
Looking ahead to the Latin America Amateur Championship
The victory completed Fernandes's 2026 competitive season, according to the federation. His next focus is training in the United States before making his debut at the Latin America Amateur Championship (LAAC), scheduled for Mexico in January 2027. Earlier this year he was runner-up at the Brazilian Junior Championship and then climbed the World Amateur Golf Ranking through a series of strong results. The record in Itu is another measure of that progress, not a prediction of his LAAC result.
FPGolfe's final report says the event attracted 160 competitors representing 31 clubs from eight Brazilian states. Its two headline winners illustrate the depth of local competition: emerging juniors test themselves alongside established adult amateurs, while the women's field continues to produce closely tracked ranking results.
