Caleb Manuel has won $2,019 in prize money over two tournaments on the PGA Tour America. Derek Davis/Portland Press Herald
As the golf season came to a close last year, Caleb Manuel had an opportunity — and plenty of doubts.
The Topsham native had a chance to continue his fledgling professional career on the PGA Tour Americas, the development circuit for the Korn Ferry Tour, which promotes to the PGA Tour. But playing there meant going to a different part of the world, surrounding himself with another language, and traveling not from state to state but country to country.
“At first, I was a little skeptical because of obviously the travel and stuff like that, and I’ve heard mixed reviews,” Manuel said. “I wasn’t over the moon about (it); I wasn’t sure.”
He ultimately decided to give it a shot — a move that’s worked out, as the tour has given him a steady start to his first full season as a professional. Manuel has played in two events in Argentina and Brazil, making the cut in both, and is playing a third this weekend in Ecuador. He’s earned $2,019 in prize money over the two tournaments.
It’s been the busy life that Manuel, 23, was anticipating when he turned pro — after Ecuador, he’ll head to Peru next week for a tournament in Lima. But for someone who’s never played farther away than Puerto Rico, it’s been an adjustment.
“The traveling’s kind of a lot, but I like being on a tour and having the points system, something to kind of work toward rather than just kind of some random tournaments here and there,” he said. “I like the four-day tournaments where you can earn money but also earn season-long points. I’m enjoying it so far.”
The PGA Tour Americas was created in 2024 when the PGA Tour Latinoamerica merged with the Canadian Tour. Manuel earned full-time status for the tour in October when he won a tournament in the first stage of Q School, the series of tournaments allowing players to qualify for the Korn Ferry and PGA tours. Manuel shot 24-under to win.
“It was big. When it’s your week, it’s your week,” Manuel said. “I was hitting wedges closer than I ever had; that was the strength of my game that week. And then obviously putts went in that weren’t supposed to. It all balances out.”
Manuel has also seen how highly competitive the golf is at that level. In the next Q School stage, needing a top-20 finish to advance and stay in contention for Korn Ferry Tour status, he shot 5-under but finished in a tie for 51st.
In South America, it’s been a similar story. In Argentina, Manuel shot par or better every round and finished at 8-under but was eight shots back in 30th. He had a good start in Brazil, opening with a 68 and 69, but faded in the last two rounds to finish tied for 70th at 4-over.
“To win out here, you have to be on your game all four days,” he said. “You have to get out to a good start, and you have to kind of maintain that. When it’s your week, it’s your week, but when it’s not it’s important to hang in there and try to make cuts. Every shot’s pretty important.”
Manuel said he’s been focusing more on how he’s playing than how he’s finishing, especially since he’s dealing with high elevation in South America that can easily influence a shot, round or placing.
“You kind of have to compare yourself to yourself. You can’t look at it (another) way, otherwise you’ll get discouraged,” he said. “Stuff has to go your way. … (It’s) staying patient, and when something doesn’t go your way, you can tell yourself that you kind of expected it to happen. That’s just golf, it’s unpredictable.”
As is Manuel’s path for the rest of the season. After Peru, the Americas Tour has two more stops, in Mexico City and Bogota, Colombia, and Manuel has to be in the top 60 in the points standings — he’s currently 53rd — to qualify for the Canadian leg that begins in July.
That’s the goal, and after some initial hesitation, he knows he’s in the right place to make that happen.
“Now I realize if you have any status, you kind of take it,” Manuel said. “A lot of guys would love to be here competing each week. I think it’s important to have a tournament to play in each week, and be in a tour where you can work toward something.”
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