Cayman Islands sensation Hastings storms to Jamaica Open glory
Justin Hastings (third left), winner of this year's Jamaica Open Golf Championship, celebrates with Xavier Wiggins (from left), amateur champion; Oswald Atwill, senior professional winner; Jodi Munn-Barrow, Jamaica Golf Association president and tournament director; Scott Summy of presenting sponsor Vybwear; and Alan McClean, senior amateur winner.
Key Points(5)
- Cayman Islands sensation Justin Hastings produced a commanding performance at Tryall Golf Course to capture the 58th Jamaica Open Golf Championship on Tuesday, matching the tournament's course record and underlining his credentials as one of the region's brightest young golfing talents.
- Hastings separated himself from a competitive 80-player field with a superb final-round performance, finishing at 12-under-par 204 to claim the championship in emphatic fashion and potentially become one of the youngest winners in the tournament's history.
- The young Caymanian combined consistency with an impressive finishing burst, posting rounds of 66, 69 and 69.
- His championship-winning scorecard featured a six-under-par 66 in the opening round, followed by a three-under 69 before another three-under 69 in the final round.
- That closing effort enabled him to move clear of the contenders and secure sole possession of the title.
Cayman Islands sensation Justin Hastings produced a commanding performance at Tryall Golf Course to capture the 58th Jamaica Open Golf Championship on Tuesday, matching the tournament's course record and underlining his credentials as one of the region's brightest young golfing talents.
Hastings separated himself from a competitive 80-player field with a superb final-round performance, finishing at 12-under-par 204 to claim the championship in emphatic fashion and potentially become one of the youngest winners in the tournament's history.
The young Caymanian combined consistency with an impressive finishing burst, posting rounds of 66, 69 and 69.
His championship-winning scorecard featured a six-under-par 66 in the opening round, followed by a three-under 69 before another three-under 69 in the final round. That closing effort enabled him to move clear of the contenders and secure sole possession of the title.
Hastings was second after the opening round, just one shot behind the leader, before moving into a share of first place after the second day. He then seized control in the final round to complete a memorable victory.
Reflecting on his achievement, Hastings admitted that matching the course record had come as a surprise.
"It's super cool to hear that I equaled the record. I had no idea, to be totally honest but yeah, I mean, it was a great week. I felt like I was kind of in control all week and then coming down the stretch there with the weather, it got a little bit weird but yeah, happy to get it done in the end," said a very pleased Hastings.
Hastings relishes championship test
The champion also reserved high praise for Tryall, describing the course as an outstanding examination of golfing ability that demanded sound judgment and precision.
"The course was amazing. It provides so many different decisions for you to have to make, which I think is a property of a really good golf course. It's going to reward good shots, but it's really going to punish bad shots. I just think that's what makes a golf course really, really good and a real championship test so yeah, I really enjoyed my time here this week."
Stachkunas rallies for second
American Tyler Stachkunas recovered impressively from slipping down the leaderboard in the second round to secure the runner-up position.
The opening-day leader finished at nine-under-par 207, benefiting from a strong performance after having set the championship's lowest individual round with a seven-under-par 65 on day one.
His resurgence pushed fellow American Nicholas Estrada, who had shared the lead after the second round, into third place. Estrada finished seven-under-par 209.
Jamaican Justin Burrowes delivered an encouraging performance, recording his best Jamaica Open finish since turning professional in 2023.
Burrowes opened with an even-par 72, improved to one-under 71 in the second round and closed with a three-under 69 to finish at four-under-par 212. He shared fourth place with Canada's Ty Celone and Cougar Collins.
Pleased with his overall showing, Burrowes also expressed appreciation for the work that went into staging the championship.
"First of all, I want to say that this was one of my favorite. This is always one of my favorite tournaments and I just want to thank Vybwear, Tryall and everybody that was involved in just making this such a good tournament. There's a lot of work obviously, behind the scenes. I thought the tournament was run really, really well.
"Personally, I felt like I played well this week. As I said yesterday, as a golfer you're always nitpicking the things that I didn't do and the things that I could have done better, but all in all I'm playing solid and I'm happy with where my game is at."
Wiggins captures amateur honors
Barbadian Xavier Wiggins emerged as the leading amateur, finishing at four-over-par 220 to claim the category title ahead of Cayman Islands golfer Daniel De Quintal and American Nicholas Neal.
Jamaican Oshae Haye finished fourth among the amateurs after posting 23-over-par 239.
Wiggins was particularly impressed by the demands of Tryall, explaining that the layout required constant concentration and a willingness to adapt his natural playing style.
"Honestly, this is one of the best courses I played in the Caribbean because you have to be on your Ps and Qs at the entire time and for me, I hit a fade and this course is set up for a draw, so I really had to focus, pick a target and commit.
"And to be honest with you, the views are breathtaking. You know, number seven in particular with that sugar mill, oh my goodness. It just, it reminds me of what the Caribbean stands for, what we give to the world, so this golf course really feels like a gem in the Caribbean, that's for sure."
For Haye, the championship proved more challenging than anticipated, with the wet conditions affecting his ability to produce the results he wanted.
"It was not what I wanted this year but looking forward, I hope everything goes well and the tournament comes and I get the results I want next year. It was a bit wet and tricky for me out there. I struggled to adjust to the condition, and it affected my game this week but looking forward to positive things next year."
Vybwear encouraged by tournament growth
Beyond the competitive action, presenting sponsor Vybwear expressed satisfaction with the championship's continued development, particularly its increased participation.
This year's staging attracted 80 competitors, up from the 66 who participated when the tournament was last held in 2024. The championship was not staged in 2025 following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica.
Vybwear's Scott Summy said the company's involvement began during the COVID-19 period, when the Jamaica Golf Association lost its sponsor and needed support to sustain the event.
“When we first got started, I didn't know what to really expect and you know we just jumped in because it was COVID and the Jamaica Golf Association lost their sponsor. So, we decided to step in and sponsor it and we thought, oh this is really, really cool.
“And so, we did that for a few years, but then we decided you know how do we make this thing bigger, better and get more eyes on it? And so, what we did is we started an actual clothing company called Vybwear. It's inspired by Jamaican golf and Vybwear became the sponsor."
Summy also reaffirmed the company's long-term commitment to the championship and its partnership with the Jamaica Golf Association.
"Jamaican Golf Association will see Vybwear here for a long time because we're fully committed to being a part of this and making it something great year in and year out."
Vybwear returned as presenting sponsor, supported by Tryall Golf Club, the Jamaica Olympic Association, Sports Development Foundation, Jamaica Tours, ATL Automotive, BMW, Jamaica Tourist Board, Grand Palladium Group, WATA, Digicel, PXI, Honey Bun, Café Blue, Juici Patties, Micro Labs, Rainforest Seafoods and CB Foods.
The successful staging and increased field size provided an encouraging platform for the championship as organizers look toward its next edition.
