Sebastián Muñoz
Juan Sebastián Muñoz Amaya (born 4 January 1993) is a Colombian professional golfer who competes on LIV Golf after previously playing on the PGA Tour.[1][2]
Muñoz turned professional in 2015 following a college career at the University of North Texas and secured his first PGA Tour victory at the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship by defeating Sungjae Im in a playoff.[3][4]
He represented Colombia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, finishing tied for 28th in the men's golf event.[5]
In 2024, Muñoz joined LIV Golf with Torque GC and achieved his first win on the circuit at the 2025 Indianapolis event, where he birdied the final two holes of regulation to force a playoff against Jon Rahm, which he won on the first extra hole, becoming the first Colombian to claim an individual LIV Golf title.[6][7]
His third-round 59 at Indianapolis, which included a double bogey, marked the lowest score in LIV Golf history and the third sub-60 round on the tour.[8]
Early life and education
Family background and introduction to golf
Juan Sebastián Muñoz Amaya was born on January 4, 1993, in Bogotá, Colombia, to parents Ricardo Muñoz and María Fernanda Amaya.[9][10] His father, also a golfer, introduced him to the sport at the age of three, sparking an early passion amid a family environment where the male side exhibited a strong obsession with golf.[4][11][2] Prior to fully committing to golf, Muñoz demonstrated proficiency in volleyball and discus throwing during his youth in Colombia, a nation where the sport holds limited traditional prominence.[11] He eventually concentrated exclusively on golf, honing his skills from those initial family-influenced beginnings and progressing through local and international amateur circuits before pursuing higher education abroad.[4][12]College years at University of North Texas
Muñoz attended the University of North Texas from 2011 to 2015, competing for the Mean Green men's golf team in Conference USA.[3][13] During his collegiate career, he played alongside fellow future professionals Carlos Ortiz and Rodolfo Cazaubón.[13][2] In his senior year of 2015, Muñoz achieved two tournament victories, highlighted by his individual championship at the Conference USA Championship held April 27–29 at the Farms of St. George's Golf and Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee.[14] He finished the stroke play portion at 5-under par 211, securing the title with a final-round score of 2-under par 70, earning the Conference USA individual medal.[14][2] His performance contributed to the UNT team's advancement to the match-play phase of the event.[14] Following graduation in 2015, Muñoz transitioned to professional golf.[3]Amateur career
Key amateur victories
Muñoz secured his first notable amateur victory in 2010 by winning the Copa Joaquín y Tomás Samper Brush, a prestigious national open in Colombia.[15][16] That same year, he contributed to Colombia's success in the Canadian International Junior Challenge, a team competition featuring top junior golfers from various nations.[17][16] In 2012, Muñoz claimed the Abierto de Golf Ciudad de Ibagué, defeating local competitors in this Colombian regional amateur event.[15][12] He followed with additional domestic successes, including the Abierto de Golf Bucaramanga in 2014, further establishing his reputation in South American amateur circuits.[18] During his senior year at the University of North Texas in 2015, Muñoz won two collegiate tournaments, highlighted by his individual title at the Conference USA Championship, where he led the Mean Green to a strong team performance.[15][9] These victories underscored his development as a low-scoring player, averaging under par in key events prior to turning professional later that year.[12]Transition to professionalism
Muñoz turned professional in 2015 immediately after completing his college eligibility at the University of North Texas.[3] [11] He forwent potential additional amateur opportunities to pursue a full-time career on regional circuits, capitalizing on his strong collegiate and amateur performances, including multiple victories in collegiate events and international amateur competitions.[4] His professional debut occurred midway through the 2015 season on the Colombian Tour, where he demonstrated immediate competitiveness by securing two wins and two additional top-four finishes across his initial four starts.[13] These results provided early momentum and financial stability, highlighting his readiness for professional competition through precise ball-striking and putting prowess honed during his amateur years. Following this strong local showing, Muñoz transitioned to the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series later in 2015, earning two victories that propelled him toward eligibility for more prominent developmental pathways.[19] This rapid ascent underscored a strategic focus on Latin American tours, leveraging geographic proximity and cultural familiarity to build rankings points and experience against international fields, setting the stage for his Korn Ferry Tour involvement by 2017.[4]Professional career
Early professional years (2015–2018)
Muñoz turned professional in 2015 following his college career at the University of North Texas.[3] He competed primarily on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series that year, securing victories at the Abierto de Bucaramanga and the Abierto de Club Campestre de Bucaramanga, marking his first professional wins.[2] These successes propelled him to a strong overall finish on the series, earning conditional status on the Web.com Tour for the 2016 season.[17] In February 2016, Muñoz claimed his first Web.com Tour title at the Club Colombia Championship in Bogotá, entering on a sponsor exemption and finishing one stroke ahead of the field after a final-round birdie on the par-5 18th hole; this marked the first victory by a Colombian-born player on the tour.[20] His consistent play throughout the regular season, including that hometown win, resulted in a 22nd-place finish on the money list, granting full PGA Tour membership for 2017.[21] As a PGA Tour rookie in 2017, Muñoz posted several competitive showings, such as contending at the Greenbrier Classic where he held the lead after 36 holes, but he ultimately failed to retain full status, reverting to conditional PGA Tour privileges and Web.com Tour eligibility.[22] In 2018, he focused on the Web.com Tour, recording three top-three finishes en route to 12th on the money list, which restored his PGA Tour card for the following year.[2]Breakthrough on developmental tours (2018–2019)
In 2018, Sebastián Muñoz returned to the Web.com Tour after relinquishing his conditional PGA Tour status from prior seasons, marking a pivotal resurgence in his career on the primary developmental pathway to the PGA Tour. Over 22 events, he secured two runner-up finishes and one third-place result, demonstrating improved consistency and competitive edge compared to his earlier professional struggles.[2][23] These outcomes positioned him 12th on the season-long money list with earnings sufficient to regain full PGA Tour membership for 2019, a threshold achieved by the top 25 finishers following the Web.com Tour Finals.[2] Muñoz's late-season momentum was evident in the Web.com Tour Finals, where finishes of 21st, sixth, and seventh across the initial stages amplified his points accumulation and confirmed his promotion. This performance underscored his technical refinements, particularly in approach play and putting under pressure, honed since his amateur days, enabling him to capitalize on opportunities denied in previous developmental stints. Absent a victory—his prior Web.com win dating to 2016—these near-misses highlighted resilience amid a field averaging multiple top-10 threats per event.[24] The 2018 campaign represented Muñoz's breakthrough on developmental tours, as subsequent elevation to the PGA Tour minimized his Korn Ferry Tour (rebranded Web.com) appearances in 2019, limited to none amid his full-season PGA commitment. His Web.com success reflected broader patterns among international players navigating U.S.-centric circuits, where sustained top finishes often outweigh outright wins for advancement.[3]PGA Tour tenure (2019–2022)
Muñoz earned his PGA Tour card for the 2019 season by finishing 12th on the 2018 Korn Ferry Tour money list, securing promotion after recording three top-three finishes that year.[2] In his rookie campaign, he achieved his maiden PGA Tour victory at the Sanderson Farms Championship on September 22, 2019, defeating Sungjae Im in a one-hole playoff after both finished at 20-under par; Muñoz posted rounds of 70-67-63-70, earning $1,188,000.[25] [3] That season, he logged five top-10 finishes and amassed nearly $3 million in earnings, placing 25th on the money list.[23] In 2020, Muñoz defended his Sanderson Farms title, opening with an 8-under 64 to share the first-round lead, though he ultimately finished outside the top 10.[26] He represented Colombia at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), marking a significant international milestone.[3] The 2021-22 season featured notable low scoring, as Muñoz became the first PGA Tour player to card a 60 or better twice within the same campaign: a first-round 60 at The RSM Classic in November 2021, where he led by one stroke after opening play.[2] [27] He also recorded a 61 during the Sanderson Farms Championship that year.[28] By 2022, Muñoz maintained his Tour status with consistent mid-tier performances, culminating in his selection to the International team for the Presidents Cup, where he competed in three matches.[3] Over his full PGA Tour tenure through 2022, he accumulated 16 top-10 finishes and eight top-5 results, though he did not secure additional victories beyond his 2019 win.[3] His career earnings on the circuit exceeded $9 million, reflecting steady but not dominant contention.[3]Move to LIV Golf and subsequent performance (2022–present)
Muñoz signed with LIV Golf in February 2023, joining the Torque GC team alongside Joaquín Niemann, Mito Pereira, and Carlos Ortiz ahead of the league's second season.[2][29] This move resulted in his indefinite suspension from the PGA Tour, as the organization enforced its policy against players participating in unauthorized events.[30] In his debut 2023 LIV season, Muñoz recorded three top-4 individual finishes, including second place at LIV Golf Orlando, and ended the year 11th in the individual standings, while Torque GC placed third in the team championship.[2] His 2024 campaign showed consistency with 11 finishes inside the top half of the field across 13 events, accumulating 49.64 points in the individual standings, though without a victory.[31][2] Muñoz elevated his performance in 2025, securing multiple top-10 results such as tied for second at LIV Golf Riyadh, fifth at Singapore, and sixth at Hong Kong, while amassing 65.20 points by mid-season—exceeding his full 2024 total.[31] His standout moment came at LIV Golf Indianapolis in August, where he carded a 12-under-par 59 in the opening round—the third sub-60 score in LIV history, achieved with 13 birdies in his final 14 holes despite an earlier double bogey on a par-4.[32][33] He closed with a 6-under 65 to force a playoff with Jon Rahm, winning on the first extra hole to claim his first LIV individual title and boost Torque GC to the team victory; this propelled him to fourth in the final individual standings.[34][2]Tournament achievements
Professional wins
Muñoz claimed his inaugural professional title at the 2015 Abierto de Bucaramanga on the PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series.[2] He secured a second victory that year at the Abierto del Club Campestre Medellín on the same developmental circuit.[2] [35] In February 2016, he prevailed at the Club Colombia Championship, his hometown event on the Korn Ferry Tour.[36] [19] Muñoz earned his lone PGA Tour victory at the 2019 Sanderson Farms Championship, birdieing the 72nd hole to force a playoff before defeating Sungjae Im on the first extra hole at the Country Club of Jackson.[3] [1] On August 17, 2025, he captured the LIV Golf Indianapolis individual title at The Club at Chatham Hills, defeating Jon Rahm in a sudden-death playoff after carding a 12-under-par 59 in the opening round—the third sub-60 score in LIV Golf history—and finishing regulation at 22-under 191.[37] [38] [34]Results in major championships
Muñoz made his major championship debut at the 2020 Masters Tournament, finishing tied for 19th at 6-under par with rounds of 70-68-69-75.[39] He entered the final round tied for seventh but carded a 75 to drop down the leaderboard.[2] At the same event in 2021, he tied for 40th at 4-over par (74-73-71-74).[40] In the PGA Championship, Muñoz played the 2020 edition, posting 71-72 to stand at 3-over after 36 holes before missing the cut.[41] He again missed the cut in 2021 with scores of 77-74 for 7-over.[40] Muñoz's strongest major performance came at the 2022 U.S. Open, where he finished tied for 14th at 2-over par (74-69-69-70).[42] In the 2020 U.S. Open, he missed the cut after an opening 71.[39] He tied for 49th at 6-over in the 2025 U.S. Open.[43] Muñoz missed the cut at the 2025 Open Championship with 2-over after two rounds.[44] The 2020 Open was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.| Tournament | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters | T19 | T40 | ||
| PGA Championship | MC | MC | ||
| U.S. Open | MC | T14 | T49 | |
| The Open | NT | MC |