Four Cayman golfers competed in the 2023 Latin America Amateur Championship over the weekend, and while they fell short of the top spot, two finished in the top 20 out of the more than 100 golfers who took part.
Argentina’s Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira won the four-day event, held from 12-15 Jan. at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Puerto Rico.
“This year in particular, was different because of what Aaron did last year,” Justin Hastings told the Cayman Compass. “We were surrounded by media throughout the tournament, all eyes were on us, but we all handle it well under the additional pressure.”
Caymanian golfer Aaron Jarvis, who won the prestigious championship last year, finished four-under-par 284 through four rounds to tie for 17th place, ahead of the three other Cayman entrants.
One of those competing was Hastings, who took advantage of the opportunity to shoot three-under-par 285, good enough to tie for 19th place.
He noted that while he was ranked within the top 20 golfers, he felt that his performance wasn’t his best.
“I went into the tournament knowing I could win this thing but I played well,” Hastings said. “I won’t say that I’m satisfied but I’m definitely taking positive from the week.”
Behind Hastings was Andrew Jarvis – the older brother of Aaron – who finished at nine-over-par 297.
Payten Wight’s hopes of advancing were cut short after he shot nine-over-par 153 during rounds one and two, which wasn’t enough to qualify for the next round.
It was the first time that the Cayman Islands had four golfers at the tournament, which Hastings welcomed considering their relationship with each other.
“It was great to have those extra guys,” he said. “Obviously, we are very close friends. To have the extra guys it made it feel like a Team Cayman thing, rather than an individual thing.”
Related Videos
