What it’s like to be an amateur golfer at one of the sport’s greatest events
CNN
As he finalizes his preparations for this week’s US Open, self-described “golf fanatic” Justin Hastings talks to CNN Sports about what it’s like to play through a major as an amateur golfer.
Ask any golf fan about their sporting dream and you can almost guarantee that it’s teeing off on the first hole of Augusta National at the Masters. As he finalizes his preparations for this week’s US Open, that’s the dream self-described “golf fanatic” Justin Hastings realized back in April when he made his major championship debut at just 21 years of age. A monumental day in any golfer’s career, Hastings’ maiden Masters appearance was made all the more special by the fact that he did so as an amateur, just one of five invited to compete at this year’s tournament. Having claimed the spoils at the Latin America Amateur Championship earlier this year, the San Diego State student secured himself a spot to compete at the world’s most famous course. Hastings’ victory at the Pilar Golf Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina in January also earned him a spot at this year’s US Open at Oakmont Country Club, where he will be bidding to again emerge top of the amateur leaderboard as he did at Augusta. The sport’s biggest names all descend upon the hallowed grounds of Augusta National every April, each with the goal of etching their name into the record books and claiming the game’s most coveted prize: the green jacket.
