National golfer Justin Hastings has officially signed on with San Diego State University to attend the school on a full, four-year scholarship.
Hastings signed a National Letter of Intent on 14 Nov. during a private gathering at The Ritz-Carlton. An NLI cements a student-athlete’s commitment to play at a particular school.
“This is still surreal for me right now,” said Hastings.
The 17-year-old is in his senior year at Cayman International School. Earlier this year, he tied for 28th at the Latin America Amateur Championship, which is a qualifying tournament for prestigious competitions like the Masters and US Open. His finish was the third-best among Caribbean competitors.
“I’ve been playing golf since I was 8 years old,” said Hastings. “The end goal is for me to go pro, and make a living from this. I know that there are still many more steps to go before that, but this puts me one step closer.”
He first took part in the Latin America championship in 2018 when he was 14 years old, making him the youngest competitor to ever play in the tournament. Shortly after, colleges began to woo him. He told the Cayman Compass that, along with the good weather in California, there were several reasons why he chose San Diego State.
“We visited the campus and I got really good vibes from [it],” said Hastings. “I’ve talked to the guys that are going into it with me next year and these are guys that I will be able to grow with and get better with.”
He is expected to arrive at the university for the 2021/2022 academic year. He says he wants to focus on his putting upon arriving on campus.
“I have had too many meets in my life where I could have won a golf tournament, but my putter didn’t quite cooperate with me,” Hastings explained. “So, that’s something I will be working on for the next four years.”
Aaron Jarvis, another Cayman Islands golfer, recently announced a verbal commitment to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, which would also see him playing against Hastings during conference competitions.
Several student golfers hoping to follow in his footsteps were on hand as he signed his NLI.
“Hopefully what we have done will inspire the younger generations to come and give it a chance, and you never know where this could lead to,” said Hastings.
Related Videos
