Justin Hastings claimed the Latin America Amateur Championship on Saturday at Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, becoming the second player from the Cayman Islands to win this prestigious title.
The 21-year-old San Diego State senior’s victory came during an unusual 36-hole final day, as tournament officials compressed the schedule due to Sunday’s threatening weather forecast. Hastings, who shared the lead with Peru’s Patrick Sparks after two rounds, built a four-shot advantage by the halfway point before securing a one-shot win.
What makes this win even more remarkable is Hastings’ history with the LAAC. He first competed as a 14-year-old in 2018, becoming the youngest player to not only play but make the cut. He’s never missed a weekend in six appearances, steadily improving his finish each year.
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The victory comes with life-changing opportunities. Hastings earned spots in three majors this year – the Masters, U.S. Open, and Open Championship – plus exemptions into the U.S. Amateur and British Amateur.
The final round wasn’t without drama. Sparks mounted a serious challenge, making four birdies in his first eight holes to cut the lead to two. A two-shot swing at the par-5 13th brought him within one shot, and he eventually pulled even with a birdie at the 16th.
“I learned a lot being with the leaders,” Sparks said. “It’s a different type of pressure knowing three majors are on the line.”
Hastings caught a crucial break on the 15th hole when his ball narrowly avoided the water hazard. “Somehow it hung up in the hazard line, but it was actually a good lie,” he said. “And when that happened, I turned to my dad, my caddie, and said I knew it’s meant for us this week.”
The tournament was decided on the par-3 17th, where Sparks made his third bogey of the back nine. The victory celebration saw 2022 LAAC champion Aaron Jarvis and his brother Andrew rush the 18th green in near darkness, dousing their fellow Caymanian with water bottles.
“To see him do what he did a few years ago really inspired the whole island and inspired me and taught us that we can compete out here and we can do these great things,” Hastings said of Jarvis’s influence.
The Cayman Islands joins an elite group, becoming the fourth country with multiple LAAC winners alongside Chile (three), Argentina (two), and Mexico (two). Hastings entered the tournament ranked No. 52 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, making him one of the highest-ranked players in the field.
Argentina’s Segundo Oliva Pinto, who’s stayed amateur since graduating from Arkansas in 2023, shared third place with countryman Gabriel Palacios and Mexico’s Gerardo Gomez.
