Justin Hastings of the Cayman Islands and Patrick Sparks of Peru sit atop a crowded leaderboard after the second round of the Latin American Amateur Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The duo posted scores of 7-under 65 and 2-under 70 respectively on Friday at Pilar Golf Club to reach 8-under 136 through 36 holes, one shot clear of the chasing pack.
Hastings, a senior at San Diego State University, caught fire in his morning round, carding seven birdies in his first 13 holes to surge up the standings. The Caymanian’s charge was briefly halted by a two-hour weather delay, but he added one final birdie at the last to cap a stellar 65 and grab a share of the halfway lead.
“Honestly, when I’m 7 under through 13, I feel like I’m so deep in the zone nothing can affect me – except going and sitting inside for two hours,” Hastings said of the storm interruption.
Sparks had a more adventurous route to the top of the board. The Peruvian held the first round lead after an opening 66 and extended his advantage early on day two. But a pair of late bogeys saw him fall back into a tie with the charging Hastings at 8-under par.
Chasing Pack Ready to Pounce
Lurking just one shot behind the co-leaders is Paraguay’s Erich Fortlage and Mexico’s Jose Antonio Safa. Fortlage fired the low round of the day, a 6-under 66, while Safa posted a solid 68 to keep the pressure on the pacesetters heading into the weekend.
A group of four players that includes Colombian Juan Camilo Vesga, Argentine Mateo Fernandez de Oliveira, and the Chilean duo of Lukas Roessler and Gabriel Morgan Birke are lurking just three shots off the lead at 5-under 139. In all, 14 players are within five shots of Hastings and Sparks, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
Masters Invitation on the Line
The stakes are high this weekend in Buenos Aires, with the winner earning a coveted invitation to the 2025 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. The champion will also receive exemptions into this year’s U.S. Open and Open Championship, the chance to follow in the footsteps of past LAAC winners like Joaquin Niemann and Alvaro Ortiz.
“It’s hard not to think about it,” admitted 36-hole co-leader Sparks. “But again, I want to take it slowly and enjoy these next two days, and we’ll see what happens at the end of the week.”
Hastings is bidding to become just the second player from the Cayman Islands to lift the LAAC trophy, following in the footsteps of Aaron Jarvis’ breakthrough victory in 2022. The omens are good for the Caribbean island, with Jarvis having also shared the halfway lead on route to his triumph in the Dominican Republic three years ago.
Notable Names Miss the Cut
While the leaderboard is stacked with young talent from across the region, several notable names failed to make the cut, which fell at 2-over 146. Chief among them was defending champion Aaron Jarvis, whose bid for a second title came to a premature end.
Other high-profile casualties of the 36-hole ax included Colombian standout Ivan Camilo Ramirez, Argentine Segundo Oliva Pinto, and Brazil’s Fred Biondi, all of whom were among the pre-tournament favorites. Their early exits only add to the unpredictable nature of an event that consistently produces surprising results.
Moving Day Awaits
Hastings and Sparks may be out in front, but if the first two days are anything to go by, they will face a fierce challenge from a hungry pack of contenders over the weekend. With so many players within striking distance and the course vulnerable to low scores, Saturday’s third round promises to be a shootout as the race to Augusta heats up at Pilar Golf Club.
