Jarryd Dillas and Oliver Betschart began their campaigns at the Latin America Amateur Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in sweltering conditions on Thursday.

Betschart shot an opening round two-over 74 which left him in an eight-way tie for 52nd.

The 16-year-old got off to a shaky start after carding a bogey and a double bogey on the opening two holes but steadied the ship with back-to-back birdies on the third and fourth holes to make the turn at one over.

Betschart was one under with two holes remaining after carding an eagle and another birdie each side of a bogey at the 14th but was pegged back as a double bogey on the penultimate hole and a bogey on the last brought his round full circle.

“Obviously I am disappointed how it went with how I started and finished, but I have to say I played amazing for fourteen holes in between,” Betschart told The Royal Gazette.

“It was just those first two and those last two that really messed me up.”

The Gosling’s Moongate Tour champion found the hot conditions extremely challenging.

“The heat was brutal. It was definitely tough with the conditions how they were and I am not used to playing in such hot conditions,” he added.

Dillas endured an even tougher outing than his compatriot with an eight-over 80 leaving him 94th in the 105-strong field.

He was four over at the turn after carding three bogeys, a triple bogey and two birdies.

Dillas’s struggles then continued on the back nine which he also played at four over after carding a double bogey and two bogeys on the stroll coming in.

Colombian Manuel Merizalde, Peruvian Patrick Sparks and Guatemalan Gabriel Palacios each shot six-under 66 to grab a share of the early lead by one-shot over the rest of the field.

The 72-hole event, which will see the eventual winner receive an invitation to compete in the Masters tournament as well as exemptions into The Open and the US Open, runs until Sunday and features top male amateurs from 29 countries and territories.