Calling his experience “amazing”, Caymanian Justin Hastings finished ahead of 55 competitors at the recent Puerto Rico Open which featured some of the world’s best golfers.
While he did not make the cut during his first PGA Tour event, he closed at 3-under par and placed tied at 73, over the likes of PGA winners Theodore Potter Jr. and Adam Long, and Jorge Campillo, a three-time European Tour winner.
Hastings told the Compass that he is proud of his efforts out on the green.
“Puerto Rico was an amazing experience,” Hastings said. “I played a lot of good golf, and despite the end result being painful (missing the cut by 1 shot) I learned so many things that I cannot wait to apply to my game.”
The 18-hole tournament, held at the Grand Reserve Country Club, in Rio Grande, was played from 7-10 March.
American golfer Brice Garnett, the eventual winner, took home the US$4 million purse – a prize Hastings was not eligible to win since he has not yet declared himself as a professional.
Hastings, whose appearance in Puerto Rico was sponsored by Grant Thornton, now sits at 87th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking following his latest tournament.
Later this year, Hastings will look to add to his international resume – which stands at eight wins, and over 15 top-10 finishes, including fourth place at the 2024 Latin American Amateur Championship.
For now, he said he will turn his attention to representing his school, San Diego State, at The Goodwin, being hosted by Stanford University from 28-30 March.
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