Cayman Islands’ Justin Hastings wins Latin America Amateur after marathon day

Justin Hastings was prepared for a marathon Saturday at the Latin America Amateur Championship.

After all, the 21-year-old San Diego State senior from Cayman Islands has played in six of these championships, never missing a cut, including in his debut as a 14-year-old in 2018, when he became the youngest to not only compete but make the weekend.

Now, he’s in the record books as a champion, too.

With an ominous weather forecast expected on Sunday, tournament officials opted to squeeze the final 36 holes into Saturday. Hastings, who shared the lead with Peru’s Patrick Sparks through two rounds before building a four-shot lead by lunch, held off Sparks for the one-shot victory at Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires.

Sparks had stormed back to tie Hastings with four birdies in a five-hole stretch before an eagle at the par-5 13th. But a bogey at the par-3 17th knocked Sparks, who had 12 birdies and an eagle to his name on Saturday, to 15 under. Hastings, who shot bookend 72s around 64-65, carded only three bogeys on the final day.

Hastings is the second player from Cayman Islands, a British territory, to win the LAAC, following 2022 champion Aaron Jarvis, who along with his brother, Andrew, rushed the 18th green in near darkness to douse their buddy with water bottles.

Cayman Islands is now the fourth country to boast multiple LAAC winners along with Chile (three), Argentina (two) and Mexico (two).

Hastings’ win earned him exemptions into this year’s Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.

Pilar was hosting for the first time since hosting the inaugural championship in 2015.

Before breaking through, Hastings had improved his LAAC finish each year, including a solo fourth last year. He entered this year’s championship ranked No. 52 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, behind only Mexico’s Omar Morales (12) and Bolivia’s Jose Luis Montano (49).

Argentina’s Segundo Oliva Pinto, who has remained amateur since graduating from Arkansas in 2023, tied for third with countryman Gabriel Palacios and Mexico’s Gerardo Gomez.