Cayman’s Justin Hastings heads to the US Masters next week quietly confident that he can mix it with the best golfers in the world.
The 21-year-old will become only the second Caymanian in history to compete at the Augusta National on Thursday 10 April.
He told the Compass this week he was hoping to seize the opportunity to show he belongs in the big time.
“I am super excited,” he said. “I’ve been putting in the work and I am ready to get to Augusta.”
His first target is make the cut and compete for the low-amateur trophy into the weekend. Beyond those sporting goals, Hastings plans to drink in the experience of his first major tournament.
He can already count himself in an elite group.
It is exceptionally rare for a Cayman Islands athlete – in any sport – to compete at this level.
“I wake up every day and really pinch myself that I get to do this, not only for me and the people around me, but for an entire nation,” he said.
“I’m super grateful to have grown up in Cayman and I take unbelievably tremendous pride in wearing that flag.”
Despite the level of the field, which will include the likes of defending champion Scottie Scheffler, world number two Rory McIlroy and, his own hero as a youngster, Phil Mickelson, Hastings is not nervous.
“We are all out there playing the golf course,” he said. “Obviously, there are big names out there that people tend to be intimidated by and that’s cool.
“That’s what makes these tournaments so great. But I’m excited to be around some great veterans who have played the Masters 25 times, and some rising stars that we watch every day. I’m excited that my name is going to be up there next to theirs.”
Hastings’ father Rich was his caddie when he won the Latin America Amateur Championships in Argentina in January to qualify for the Masters, the US Open and Britain’s Open Championship.
The intricacies of the Augusta course require a caddie with local knowledge, but Hastings won’t be short of support on the other side of the ropes in Georgia.
“We’re gonna have a massive crowd at the Masters,” he said. “We’ve got family, extended family, friends from home, friends from here. It’s gonna be unbelievable. That support system is just what makes this kind of thing that much more special.”
One close friend whose advice Hastings can lean on is Aaron Jarvis. The pair grew up competing together in junior tournaments in Cayman and together have taken the sport to new levels as young men.
Jarvis won the same Latin America tournament in 2022, going on to compete at the Masters and then to make the cut in the US Open in the same year.
“After I won in January, we sat down in the TGI Fridays in the Miami Airport and just took a few deep breaths and really talked about what the week was going to look like for me. I think that really helped calm me down and kind of know what to expect.”
Since then, Hastings has proved himself at the elite level, finishing 13th in the Mexico Open.
“Making that cut and showing myself what I can do is huge, and it provides a lot of belief for this next week,” he said.
With the US Open and the Open Championship in the UK already in the diary for this year, Hastings has many big moments to come in the sport.
And as his college career at San Diego Stare comes to a close, he aims to ensure he is back at these tournaments for many years to come.
“I will be turning pro soon after the Masters,” he said. “It is still up in the air as to how long we’ll be waiting until I do that. I think a lot of things need to unfold before I can make that final decision, but that is the plan.”
US Masters
Date: 10-13 April, 2025
Course: Augusta National Golf Course
Favourites: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Collin Morikawa
One to watch: Justin Hastings
Where to watch: Streaming at www.masters.com
