Justin Hastings was preparing for Saturday’s marathon at the Latin American Amateur Championships.
After all, the 21-year-old San Diego State senior from the Cayman Islands played in six of those championships and never disappointed, including in his debut as a 14-year-old in 2018 when he became the youngest to not only compete but survive the weekend.
Now he is in the record books as a champion as well.
Given the ominous weather forecast expected for Sunday, tournament officials decided to postpone the final 36 holes until Saturday. Hastings, who had shared the lead through two rounds with Peru’s Patrick Sparks and built a four-point lead by lunch, held off Sparks to win by one shot at Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires.
Sparks came back and tied Hastings with four birdies over a five-hole stretch before an eagle on the par-5 13th. But a bogey on the par-3 17th knocked Sparks, who had 12 birdies and an eagle, to 15 under on Saturday. Hastings, who shot a bookend 72 around 64-65, made just three bogeys on the final day.
Hastings is the second player from the Cayman Islands, a British territory, to win the LAAC, following 2022 champion Aaron Jarvis, who, along with his brother Andrew, ran onto the 18th green in near darkness to douse their buddy with water bottles.
The Cayman Islands are now the fourth country to boast multiple LAAC winners, joining Chile (three), Argentina (two) and Mexico (two).
Hastings’ victory earned him an exemption from this year’s Masters, US Open, Open Championship, US Amateur and British Amateur.
Pilar hosted for the first time since hosting the inaugural championship in 2015.
Before his breakout, Hastings improved his LAAC standings every year, finishing solo fourth last year. He entered this year’s championship with 52nd place in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, behind only Mexican Omar Morales (12) and Jose Luis Montano from Bolivia (49).
Argentine Segundo Oliva Pinto, who has remained an amateur since graduating from Arkansas in 2023, finished third with compatriot Gabriel Palacios and Mexico’s Gerardo Gomez.
