His home has 27 golf holes. Now he is a low amateur at the U.S. Open

Oakmont, Pennsylvania – One hundred miles south of Cuba – 1,500 miles south of Oakmont – North Sound Golf Club took off Saturday night.

When a reporter tried the phone line at 6:45 p.m. Saturday, 15 minutes before closing, the extensions to the Professional Store, Head Pro and Grounds Crew were dialing tones. If they are celebrating, there is a good reason.

Their hometown son Justin Hastings is a low-level amateur at the U.S. Open.

Hastings will compete for his first major title in Oakmont on Sunday, and he currently sits in nine points and T45, but he has already won the championship on the weekend. Hastings, who is from the Cayman Islands (the British overseas territory of three coastal islands), will receive medals no matter what he shoots on Sunday. He is the only amateur who advanced, which makes him an early appointment for our open low-level amateurs.

Hastings, a 21-year-old player who just finished his senior season at San Diego State, entered the U.S. Open week. He is not the most decorated amateur in the field, including 2024 US amateur champion Noah Kent, nor is the most decorated main champion rival to decorate, who missed his only major at the April Masters.

But Hastings is used to living as the weak. He grew up on a territory of only 73,000 people in the middle of the ocean, but he lifted his weight at the U.S. Open, which many consider to be the toughest route in the world compared to the best areas on the golf course.

“How many are there [pros] Never heard of it [the Cayman Islands]It’s always an interesting thing,” Hastings said Saturday. “Some people have heard of it in movies and then said, Oh, this is a tax haven.“

It would be understandable if Hastings didn’t like the focus of attention. After all, it’s hard to find a player at the U.S. Open, or from the cultural center of golf. He grew up at the North Sound Golf Club, a special place in the Cayman Islands The only one The 18-hole golf course on the island. Those tired of the sea views and Sandy Dunes at North Sound are only able to enjoy the sea views and dunes at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, located less than a thousand yards.

“The dialogue is going on, How did you get into golf? I never had a good answer to them,” Hastings said. “There is only one golf course. I’m lucky to have a good support system there. My coach Tim has been really great for me since he was 5 years old. He has been running the national team for a while and he is with me, so we both have a great time in the past few years and now. ”

Thankfully, golf never counts scores based on wealthy results, especially at the U.S. Open, where Wee Francis Ouimet claimed to have raised on the streets won the national championship in Brookline. The scorecard is a great equalizer, and in that department, Hastings performed well. He qualifies for the U.S. Open by winning amateurs in Latin America, which he will use to play in all majors except the PGA championship. After that, it’s time for the real world: Hastings will turn to Pro after Portrush and head straight to Ottawa, where he has a status on the PGA Tour Americas.

Meanwhile, though, he will collect some hardware at the U.S. Open on Sunday afternoon and may encounter some nationally televised interviews.

“Oh, yesYes,“He talked about the NBC seat on Saturday. “That was the first one.” ”

Back at the Grand Cayman home, the business will grind as usual in the Cayman Islands’ only golf facility on Sunday morning. Like everyone else, it will be a day, with trophy rituals expected in the evening.

By then, the Northern Sound Golf Club will be closed again…and prepare a seat in its trophy case.