Segundo Oliva Pinto said he called caddy Brant Brewer on Thursday night to forgive him after a mistake on the 18th hole that cost Pinto his round of 16 games in the US Amateur at Bandon Dunes in Oregon.
“He was sitting in tears, brainstorming about what happened,” Pinto told ESPN on Friday. “I posted a photo on my Instagram that said it was not his fault. It could happen to anyone. He is not used to playing on the big stage in leagues, so he did not know the rules.”
As Pinto prepares for his shot from a greenside bunker with his game the entire square against Tyler Strafaci, Brewer enters the bunker and brushes the sand with his hands.
The incident was captured on camera, and Pinto was punished for his actions by his caddy, which cost him the hole and the match.
It all came down to the 18th hole.
And then it happened.
The outcome? A 1 up win for Tyler Strafaci. #USAmateur pic.twitter.com/JFJcoSKfFQ
Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) August 14, 2020
Pinto had no argument and said he had to accept the verdict and continue. He had no previous relationship with Brewer and said he was assigned to the event. Despite that, Pinto said he called Brewer later Thursday night to talk about what happened.
“I told him that if I could forgive him, anyone could forgive him, because I felt bad about the social burden on him with everyone who posted on Twitter and Instagram,” Pinto said.
“My thought was, ‘I want to leave this place like a man,’ and I think I did,” Pinto said. “There’s always something positive about the negative.”
Although Pinto dealt with the loss with class, it does not take away from the fact that he did not get the chance to play out the match and possibly go to the quarterfinals on his own merits.
“I’m heartbroken,” Pinto said. “Some reporters in Argentina asked me what my motivation was for coming here, I said, ‘I will not go there just to have a good time. I want to win. That is why I will go. If not, I will.’ I’m going home. ‘ “I felt I played well, even though I had a long way to go. I felt like there was a good chance, but I think we will never know.”
Pinto, who played a friendly round with a fellow teammate on Friday, said he hopes to correct the outcome with Strafaci at a later date.
“He’s a very good player, we had a great game, that’s all that matters,” said Pinto. “We have to close that one hole though, and we’ll do it at another location. I’ll talk to him and try to get a rematch.”
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