Caymanian amateur golfer Justin Hastings has been granted a sponsor exemption to compete in the 2025 Butterfield Bermuda Championship.
The tournament, now in its seventh year and set for 13-16 Nov. at the Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, is recognised as one of Bermuda’s premier sporting events and a fixture on the PGA Tour.
The sponsor exemption means Hastings can take part in the tournament without needing to qualify.
At only 22 years old, Hastings has already achieved significant milestones in his burgeoning career.
He won this year’s Latin America Amateur Championship, qualifying him for the 2025 US Open at Oakmont in Pennsylvania, at which he earned the distinction of low amateur.
This achievement made him the first Caymanian golfer to both participate in and make the cut at a US Open.
His next scheduled tournament is The Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland on 17-20 July, after which he will turn pro and immediately begin play on PGA Tour Americas, a developmental circuit that has a pathway to the Korn Ferry Tour – which is one step below the PGA Tour.
Danielle Carrera, director of the Bermuda tournament, said in a press release about Hastings’s participation, “We are thrilled to welcome Justin Hastings to the 2025 Butterfield Bermuda Championship. Justin has shown incredible poise and talent in his young career, and we are excited to give him this opportunity to compete on one of golf’s biggest stages. He’s not only a great representative of the future of the game, but also a proud ambassador for Caribbean golf.”
In the release, Mike McWatt, managing director of Butterfield in the Cayman Islands, said, “We are delighted to offer our sponsor exemption to such a talented young golfer from the Cayman Islands. It is always exciting to support emerging athletes with lots of potential, but especially so when they are from one of the communities Butterfield calls home. We all look forward to welcoming Justin to the tournament and to watching him compete in Bermuda.”
Hastings recently concluded his collegiate golf career at San Diego State University, ranking top 20 in the US and leading a team of international amateurs to victory in the Arnold Palmer Cup.
His inclusion in this year’s field reinforces the championship’s dedication to fostering the growth of emerging players from the Caribbean and Atlantic region, marking another important step in his path toward professional golf, a spokesperson said in the release.
Hastings spoke of his gratitude in being granted an exemption into the Bermuda tournament. “It’s another great opportunity to showcase my game at golf’s highest level,” he said in the release.
“I’d like to thank The Butterfield Group for thinking of me, as I know these exemptions are hard to come by. This tournament means a little bit more to me, being from a small island in the Caribbean. I am familiar with (and love) the style of golf and have paid close attention to this tournament ever since its inception in 2019!”
