Justin Hastings said his game sets up perfectly for a surprise low-am run at Portrush. The Cayman Islands native is unfazed by 20-mph gusts—“throw all the wind you can at me”—and plans to split tee shots 50/50 between driver and three-iron to prioritize fairways. He feels lights-out with the putter right now and rates his 120-to-200-yard approach window as a strength, the very number range Portrush serves up. Add a local caddie who worked the 2019 Open and Hastings believes that if he simply “hits it well off the tee” he can leverage firm-and-fast creativity into a made-cut and a serious shot at low amateur markets.

Hastings revealed he will split tee shots almost evenly between driver and a driving-iron at Portrush, saying the course "makes you hit shots you maybe aren’t comfortable with" and that holes 1-4 force him to cut every iron even though he normally draws them. The plan is aimed at keeping the ball low and in play on firm fairways while avoiding the pot bunkers that gobble up wayward drives. For DFS lineups or fairway-hit props, this conservative club selection suggests higher accuracy and could limit big numbers—particularly valuable in Showdown or make/miss-cut markets.

Justin Hastings said he feels set up for a good week at Royal Portrush because the forecast calls for wind and mid-iron approach shots—two areas he considers strengths. Growing up on a one-mile-wide island means he has played his entire life in 20-plus-mph breezes, so he welcomes any gusty conditions that might scare others. He added that links greens "give you a little bit of a break," and he is currently "super comfortable putting," especially from 10 – 20 feet. Hastings believes the key is simply driving it in the fairway; if he does that, he will lean on his best yardage window (120 – 200 yards) and confident flat stick to generate scoring chances. Bettors looking for a long-shot cut-maker or a Top-40 ticket can upgrade him when the weather turns nasty because he feels the more the wind blows, the bigger his edge becomes.