NORMAN, Okla. -- San Diego State men's golfer Justin Hastings (Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands) will represent the international team at the Arnold Palmer Cup in June, the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) announced Tuesday.
The Arnold Palmer Cup, which was co-founded by Arnold Palmer and the GCAA, is a Ryder Cup-style tournament featuring the top men's and women's collegiate golfers, pitting the United States against a team of international players. The 29th annual Arnold Palmer Cup is slated for June 5-7, 2025 at Congaree Golf Club in Ridgeland, South Carolina.
Hastings is the fourth Aztec to be named to an Arnold Palmer Cup team, joining Aaron Goldberg and Nahum Mendoza III, who represented the United States in 2008 and 2016, respectively, and Puwit Anupansuebsai, who played for the internationals in both 2020 and 2021. Hastings is the first golfer from the Cayman Islands to be selected for the Arnold Palmer Cup.
Hastings is coming off a four-stroke victory at the Mountain West Championship last weekend, carding an 18-under-par 198 on the on the par-72, 7,164-yard Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Oregon. The 198 is tied for the third-lowest individual score in MW Championship and the fourth-lowest score in SDSU history (Hastings has the record at 195 set at the 2023 Maui Jim Intercollegiate). Hastings now has two wins this season (also the Lamkin Classic), which only trails Anupansuebsai (2021-22) and J.J. Spaun (2011-12) for the most in recorded program history (since 1993-94). His four career championships are tied for the third most as an Aztec, only trailing five by Spaun (2009-12) and Lennie Clements (1976-79).
Hastings leads San Diego State with a 70.00 stroke average through 30 rounds, which is the lowest scoring average in Aztec single-season history (min. 27 rounds). Out of his 10 collegiate tournaments this season, Hastings has two wins, three top-5s, six top-10s and seven top-20s. His 71.11 career scoring average is also the best in recorded program history (since at least 1993-94), just ahead of Xander Schauffele’s 71.50 set from 2013-15.
The Arnold Palmer Cup was established in 1997 and originally featured the top eight collegiate golfers from the United States against Great Britain and Ireland. Following the 2002 tournament, the American opponent was enlarged to include all European players, while roster size for both sides was increased to 10 competitors in 2013. In 2018, the Arnold Palmer Cup was expanded once again to include United States men's and women's teams against collegiate golfers from around the world.
Since its inception, over 245 former Arnold Palmer Cup alumni have gone on to earn cards on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours and 44 have represented Europe or the USA in the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, or Solheim Cup. Additionally, more than 90 former players have claimed over 415 victories on the PGA, DP World, or LPGA Tours, including 2023 major champions Jon Rahm (Masters Tournament), Lilia Vu (The Chevron Championship & AIG Women’s Open), Wyndham Clark (U.S. Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), and Brian Harman (The Open), as well as 2023 FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland. The United States leads the Palmer Cup series 14-12-1.
SDSU awaits its NCAA Regional destination, which will be announced at 10 a.m. PT Wednesday live on the Golf Channel.