Arnaldo Fabrizio Zanotti (born 21 May 1983) is a Paraguayan professional golfer who plays on the European Tour (now known as the DP World Tour). He is the first and only golfer from Paraguay to win a title on the European Tour, claiming victories at the 2014 BMW International Open and the 2017 Maybank Championship.
A prominent figure in South American sports, Zanotti won the individual gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. He is a three-time Olympian, having represented Paraguay at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Olympics, and was accorded the national honor of serving as his country's official flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Early life and amateur career Zanotti was born in Asunción, the national capital. He was Paraguay's top-ranked amateur golfer for six straight years.
Professional career In 2003, Zanotti turned professional. In 2006, Zanotti won the Tour de las Américas Order of Merit with victory at the final event of the season, the Abierto Mexicano Corona. The tournament was also the second event on the 2007 Challenge Tour schedule, and the win enabled him to join the tour for the remainder of the season. He ended the season in 11th place on the Challenge Tour Rankings to graduate to the top-level European Tour for 2008.
In his rookie season on the European Tour, Zanotti finished 153rd on the Order of Merit to lose his place on the tour. However he regained his card for 2009 by finishing 16th at the end-of-season qualifying school. He has kept his card since, with a best finish of 25th on the Race to Dubai in 2017.
Zanotti won his first European Tour event at the 2014 BMW International Open. The win made Zanotti the first Paraguayan to win on the European Tour. During that same season, he also finished third at the Madeira Islands Open - Portugal - BPI, fifth at the Lyoness Open, ninth at the Alstom Open de France and tenth at the BMW Masters. In 2015, he finished second at the British Masters, third at the Open d'Italia, fourth at the KLM Open and seventh at the Nordea Masters.
His second European Tour win came at the Maybank Championship in February 2017. He scored a final round 63, including a birdie-eagle finish, to beat David Lipsky by a stroke. Zanotti had begun the final round six strokes off the lead, but a birdie on the 71st hole sent him to the top of the leaderboard for the first time all week. The win moved Zanotti back inside the top 100 in the world rankings.
At the 2019 Pan American Games, Zanotti won the gold medal in the men's individual competition and the silver medal in the mixed team competition.
Zanotti has also represented Paraguay in the men's individual golf tournament at three consecutive Olympic Games: 2016 Summer Olympics, 2020 Summer Olympics, and 2024 Summer Olympics.
Professional wins (7) European Tour wins (2) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner(s)-up129 Jun 2014BMW International Open−19 (72-67-65-65=269)Playoff Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Grégory Havret, Henrik Stenson212 Feb 2017Maybank Championship1−19 (70-69-67-63=269)1 stroke David Lipsky 1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
European Tour playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12014BMW International Open Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Grégory Havret, Henrik StensonWon with par on fifth extra holeCabrera-Bello eliminated by par on fourth holeHavret eliminated by birdie on second hole
Challenge Tour wins (1) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up110 Dec 2006(2007 season)Abierto Mexicano Corona1−9 (74-67-69-65=275)1 stroke Daniel de León 1Co-sanctioned by the Tour de las Américas
Tour de las Américas wins (2) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up110 Dec 2006Abierto Mexicano Corona1−9 (74-67-69-65=275)1 stroke Daniel de León26 Nov 2011Carlos Franco Invitational2−14 (67-67-65-71=270)6 strokes Leandro Marelli 1Co-sanctioned by the Challenge Tour 2Co-sanctioned by the TPG Tour
PGA Tour Latinoamérica Developmental Series wins (1) No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunner-up116 Aug 2015Abierto de Paraguay Copa NEC−26 (64-66-68-64=262)12 strokes Julio Zapata
Other wins (1) No. DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin ofvictoryRunners-up111 Aug 2019Pan American Games−15 (64-67-68-70=269)Playoff Mito Pereira, José Toledo
Other playoff record (1–0) No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult12019Pan American Games Mito Pereira, José ToledoWon with birdie on first extra hole
Results in major championships
Results not in chronological order in 2020. Tournament2014 2015 2016 2017 2018Masters TournamentU.S. OpenThe Open ChampionshipCUTCUTPGA ChampionshipT46CUT Tournament2019202020212022Masters TournamentU.S. OpenPGA ChampionshipThe Open ChampionshipNTCUT
CUT = missed the half-way cut "T" indicates a tie for a place NT = no tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Results in World Golf Championships Results not in chronological order before 2015. Tournament 2014 2015 2016 2017ChampionshipT12Match PlayInvitationalT26T50ChampionsT50
"T" = Tied
Team appearances Amateur Eisenhower Trophy (representing Paraguay): 2000, 2002
Professional World Cup (representing Paraguay): 2007
See also 2007 Challenge Tour graduates 2008 European Tour Qualifying School graduates 2013 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
References
External links