Colombia's national Open stays with its defending champion
The professional stage of the 78th Abierto de Colombia Cajacopi — Copa Joaquín y Tomás Samper Brush concluded at Country Club de Barranquilla's Sabanilla course on 25 October 2026. Colombian professional Juan Camilo Vesga, from Santander and representing Ruitoque, successfully defended the national Open title he had won at Pueblo Viejo in 2025.
Vesga totalled 278 strokes (10 under par) over four rounds of 64, 70, 73 and 71. The arithmetic is straightforward: those four scores add to 278 against a four-round par of 288. His opening 64 (eight under) established a lead that he never relinquished during the tournament.
Rain delays, pressure and a crucial 14th-hole birdie
Heavy rain interrupted play during the championship. PGA Colombia reported that Vesga had to complete the final hole of his third round early on Sunday before starting the last round. His closest domestic challenger, Ómar Beltrán, narrowed the gap to one stroke by the ninth hole, but Vesga regained control across the back nine.
In the final round, Vesga recorded birdies at the 10th, 12th and 14th, finishing with 71 (one under). The birdie at 14 was especially important after a costly mistake on the same hole the previous day. He closed with a par at 18 in the rain. His overall 10-under score is, of course, a cumulative four-round total; it should not be confused with a count of birdies.
Brazil's Alexandre Rocha finished runner-up at 281 (seven under). Benjamín Saiz-Wenz of Chile and fellow Colombian Ómar Beltrán shared third place at 282 (six under). That left Vesga three strokes ahead of the runner-up and four ahead of the players tied for third. The Chilean Golf Federation independently confirmed Saiz-Wenz's rounds of 69, 69, 74 and 70.
A fourth domestic title in one season
The victory was Vesga's fourth win of 2026 on the Colombian circuit. He had previously captured the Abierto El Rodeo, Abierto del Eje Cafetero and Abierto de Hatogrande. With back-to-back Colombian Open titles, he joined a relatively short list of players to defend this trophy, a tradition the organisers trace through names including Pedro Valdi, Raúl Posse, Rogelio González and Jesús Amaya. PGA Colombia describes this as his seventh career professional title.
The wider championship: amateurs, women and juniors
According to host Country Club de Barranquilla, the whole programme ran for three weeks, bringing together more than 370 Colombian and international golfers across multiple competitions. This is not a count of entrants in the professional field alone.
In the leading men's amateur division, Pablo Arroyave of Club Campestre de Medellín took the title with 282 strokes (six under), helped by a closing 69 (three under). He beat Carlos Ernesto Rodríguez by six strokes and added this result to his Mid-Amateur victory at the same Open a week earlier.
In the leading women's amateur division, Alejandra Álvarez of Guaymaral led throughout and won at 310 (22 over). Valeria Ramírez placed second on 316 (28 over) and Emma Gaitán third on 322 (34 over). It was Álvarez's first victory of the season.
The host club also reported that more than 22 children from its golf academy took part in amateur competitions, a local development detail that might be obscured by the professional headline. Gross scoring and handicap-adjusted net categories are separate classifications; the professional champion's total, Arroyave's amateur total and Álvarez's women's score should likewise be understood within their respective divisions.
Sources: PGA Colombia, Country Club de Barranquilla, Chilean Golf Federation.
