Colombian Ricardo Celia was the top Latin American, tying for 10th place
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – American Maxwell Moldovan sank a 50-foot (15-meter) eagle putt on the 72nd hole to win by one stroke at the 70th ECP Brazil Open, a PGA TOUR Americas event, capturing his first professional victory. The dream finish at the iconic Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro vaulted him to second place in the Fortinet Cup standings after the second of 16 events on the 2025 schedule.
With a three on the final hole, a 587-yard par 5, Moldovan edged out fellow American George Markham, who had shared the final pairing and was tied with Moldovan at 16-under par heading to the last tee. His 50-foot, double-breaking putt found the bottom of the cup to seal the win. With four birdies in his last six holes for a final-round 3-under 68, the 23-year-old from Ohio finished at 18-under 266 for the tournament.
Markham also birdied the final hole, carding a 3-under 68 to finish solo second. Starting the day with a one-shot lead, fellow American Chris Francoeur closed with a 1-over 72 to take third at 16-under.
“Honestly, I don’t even know what to feel or how to feel, I’m just very grateful,” said Moldovan after his victory. “This first year as a pro has been really tough. A few months ago, I wasn’t even sure a day like this would come. There’s so much uncertainty in pro golf… I was already happy just to be in contention again and see so many good things in my game. But for it all to come together like this, I’m speechless. I’m truly grateful.”
In his previous 10 PGA TOUR Americas starts—nine last season and one last week in Argentina—Moldovan had missed nine cuts. With his wife Emily on the bag as his caddie, everything clicked this week, resulting in a victory that puts his career back on track and firmly in the hunt for Korn Ferry Tour promotion in 2026.
Top Latin American honors went to Colombian Ricardo Celia, who tied for 10th at 12-under. Celia shot an even-par 71 in the final round to finish one shot ahead of Argentina’s Mateo Fernández de Oliveira, who fired a 3-under 68 to tie for 14th.
With these results, Fernández de Oliveira, who tied for 10th last week at the 93rd Abierto del Centro presented by Zurich in Argentina, moved into 10th on the Fortinet Cup points list. The next-best Latin American is Celia, who now sits in 15th place.
After the first two events of the Latin American Swing, PGA TOUR Americas will take a two-week break. The next stop on the calendar is the Kia Open, scheduled for April 24–27 at the Quito Tennis and Golf Club in Quito, Ecuador.
