Justin Hastings wins 2025 Latin America Amateur Championship
BUENOS AIRES – Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands won the 2025 Latin America Amateur Championship on Saturday night after a marathon double session at Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Due to the anticipated inclement weather forecast for Sunday, the final round was moved up to Saturday afternoon following the conclusion of the third round. The decision led to a 36-hole sprint on Saturday, culminating in Hastings’ victory in the final group as the sun set.
In a test of physical and mental endurance, Hastings finished at 16-under 272, one shot clear of Patrick Sparks of Peru. Hastings becomes the second player from the Cayman Islands to win the Championship, following close friend Aaron Jarvis, who won in 2022.
Hastings will play in the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National, The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush and the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club.
“It's still crazy to think about. I don't think it's totally kicked in,” said the emotional winner after rounds of 64 (the best of the championship) and 72 strokes.
“I definitely learned a lot today and I learned that I still have things to work on in those moments but at the same time, I'm proud to see how far my mental game has come in the last few years.”
The 21-year-old will become the first player from the Cayman Islands to compete in the U.S. Open and the second to compete in the Masters and The Open. Jarvis competed at Augusta National and made the cut at the Old Course (St Andrews) in 2022 following his victory.
“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,” said Hastings of Jarvis.
“To be able to follow in his footsteps a few years later and get it done is super amazing.”
Hastings shined on Saturday morning, matching the Championship record for birdies in a single round (nine) on his way to a seven-under 64 and the solo lead after the third round. Just before starting his final round, inclement weather forced a delay of just over an hour.
The San Diego State University senior carded just one bogey and three birdies through 12 holes when an errant drive on the par-5 13th went out of bounds. The resulting bogey and coinciding birdie by Sparks, who fired a four-under 68 in the final round narrowed the lead to just one.
A bogey on hole No. 14 from Sparks brought the lead back to two, but he nearly found the water on the par-4 15th before saving par. Sparks responded with a 15-foot birdie putt of his own, again reducing the lead to just one shot with two holes to play.
“Somehow it hung up in the hazard line, but it was actually a good lie,” said Hastings of his shot at the 15th. “And when that happened, I turned to my dad, my caddie, and said I knew it's meant for us this week. That happened when I won my first college event.”
As darkness approached, the Peruvian faltered, missing a short par putt on the par-3 17th hole. That would prove to be the difference as Sparks fell one stroke shy of an opportunity to become the first player representing Peru to win the Latin America Amateur.
“I'm very proud of the performance and coming one shot short,” said Sparks. “It definitely hurts a little bit, but it keeps me motivated and keeps me wanting to come back. Hopefully it will be better next year.”
The 23-year-old, a recent graduate and current assistant coach for the University of North Carolina, Wilmington men’s golf team, will have a chance at redemption in his home country next year when the 11th edition of the Latin America Amateur is held at Lima Golf Club in Lima, Peru.
“I learned a lot being with the leaders,” said Sparks. “It’s a different type of pressure knowing three majors are on the line. I want to do better than this year, so hopefully that’s the year.”
Segundo Oliva Pinto, one of 11 players representing host country Argentina, finished T-3, his third top 10 in five appearances. He was joined at 14-under-par 277 by Mexico’s Gerardo Gomez, who was making his Championship debut, and Gabriel Palacios of Guatemala. Palacios’ finish was his best performance in the Latin America Amateur and tied the best finish by a player from Guatemala in Championship history.
For more information on the Latin Amateur Championship, please visit LAACgolf.com and follow @LAAC_Golf on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok and YouTube.
About the Latin America Amateur Championship
In 2014, the Masters Tournament, The R&A and the USGA announced the formation of the Latin America Amateur Championship in an effort to further develop amateur golf throughout the region, specifically in South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean.
The field is comprised annually of the top male amateurs in Latin America representing the 29 IOC-recognized countries and territories from this region that are current members of the International Golf Federation.
The champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club and automatically qualifies for The Open and U.S. Open.
The winner also receives full exemptions into The Amateur Championship, the U.S. Amateur Championship and any other USGA amateur championship for which he is eligible. Runner(s)-up will be exempt into the final stages of qualifying for The Open and U.S. Open.
