Teenage sensation Aaron Jarvis finished a remarkable joint-76th at the 150th Open on Sunday. It was a sensational feat by the 19-year-old golf prodigy who made history for the Cayman Islands on Friday by making the cut at The Old Course, St Andrews in Scotland.
Jarvis is the first golfer from the Cayman Islands to compete in The Open having qualified following a memorable triumph in the 2022 Latin America Amateur Championship at Casa de Campo. He also competed at the Augusta Masters in May.
Following a challenging first round, Jarvis, playing alongside Major winners Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink, carded a brilliant three under par second round to make the cut and sit on even par for the Championship. One of only four amateur golfers to make the cut this year, Jarvis won the Bronze Medal for his brilliance.
Kenneth Bryan, Minister for Tourism and Transport said: “On behalf of the Ministry of Tourism and the Cayman Islands, I extend my congratulations to Aaron Jarvis on this history-making achievement.
“Jarvis is an inspiring example of how passion, hard work, and dedication can lead to overcoming challenges - such as the Cayman Islands only having one public golf course - to reach great heights. He was a wonderful ambassador for the Cayman Islands, playing at the Home of Golf.”
Jarvis carded a respectable one over par 289 to finish ahead of champions pros Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson , both of whom didn’t even make the cut. The Caymanian showed maturity beyond his years and if he does turn pro looks capable of one day being a champ.
Jarvis recently finished his freshman year at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). He was inspired to play golf after watching older brother, Andrew, play in the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championships when it was held in Cayman in 2013. After developing a passion for the sport, he moved to Florida for high school to train at the Leadbetter Junior Golf Academy.
The Cayman Islands remains his family home and he still practises on the local North Sound Golf Club course when on-island. Many in the Cayman Islands supported Jarvis, sending their support for his Open debut.
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