Cayman Islands’ Justin Hastings wins 58th Vybwear JGA Open
HANOVER, Jamaica — Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands won the 58th staging of the Vybwear Jamaica Golf Association Open, which finished on Tuesday at the Tryall Club in Hanover, carding a three-day 54-hole,12 under-par 204 score.
The 23-year-old former San Diego State player, shot a three- under 69 on Tuesday, to beat first-day leader Tyler Stachkunas, who shot a six-under third round for a nine-under par 207, while Nicholas Estrada was third with a seven-under 209 score.
Jamaica’s Justin Burrowes had his best finish at the Open as a professional, tied for fourth with Canadians Ty Celone and Cougar Collins, all on four- under 212, one shot ahead of John Baptiste Hakizimana of the USA on three-under 213.
Last year’s winner Benjamin Martin of Trinidad and Tobago rallied on Tuesday with a two-under 70, his first under-par score of the tournament to finish in the top 10, while Uganda’s Joshua Seale shot a five-under 67, the second-best round of the day.
Hastings, who was tied for the lead with Estrada at the start of the third round, played steady golf all day only to shoot a double-bogie six on the par-four 17th.
By then he was well clear of the field and was five-under at the time.
But for two costly bogies, at the par-five third and the par-three 12th, Stachkunas could have made at run at Hastings late in the day, reeling off four consecutive birdies between the fifth and the eighth holes and had another four on the back nine.
Burrowes recovered from a bogie on the second hole to card three birdies on the front nine and two more late in the day.
Xavier Wiggins of Barbados was the top amateur with a four- over-plook ar 220 score, six shots better than second-placed Daniel De Quintal of the Cayman Islands, who finished with 10-over 226, including a three-under on Tuesday’s final day.
Oshae Haye was the top Jamaican amateur at 23-over-par 239.
—Paul A Reid