.No Spanish golfer had ever won the US Amateur, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. Sergio García, a semifinalist in 1998, held the best precedent.
José Luis Ballester has not let the great opportunity that he had created for himself this week at Hazeltime National GC (Minnesota) pass him by and has made history by becoming the first Spanish player to win the US Amateur, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world that has legends such as Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson in its trophy cabinet.
On his 21st birthday, the National Team golfer overcame American Noah Kent in the grand final, held over 36 holes with a large crowd, who was unable to find the antidote to overcome Josele, as he has been known in our country since he began to show his talent in those Spanish Junior Championships.
The final has had a Spanish flavor from the early hours of the morning at Chaska: Ballester was leading 3up going into the 4th hole after two birdies on the tee. He closed out those first 18 holes with a 4up, forcing the local player to be aggressive to keep his dream alive.
Noah Kent raised his level of golf, an essential requirement to stay in contention. He managed to win holes like the 25th, a par 5 where the Spaniard carded a fine birdie, countered by his rival's eagle. Despite his efforts, Ballester once again went 4 up, adding holes 28 and 29 to his tally.
From then on, Kent went all out in search of victory and found his reward: he won holes 31, 32, and 34, each time with a bogey from Ballester. This gave the Spaniard a slim lead heading into the final hole. With textbook golf, a fairway shot and two putts, José Luis Ballester secured the hole and achieved a milestone for our sport: the first victory in a tournament that began in 1985 and, since then, has forged an extraordinary history.
This enormous success of José Luis Ballester brings with it two prizes of enormous value: invitations - if he continues to maintain his amateur status - to compete in the Masters at Augusta and the US Open in 2025.
The road from 32nd place to the grand final
José Luis Ballester finished in 32nd place, with scores of 68 and 73 for a total of 141 strokes, in the qualifying round. He subsequently defeated American Benjamin James 2-1 in the round of 32; German Tiger Christensen 3-1 in the round of 16; American Christian Brand 2-1 in the round of 16; American Bobby Massa 3-1 in the quarterfinals; and Spaniard Luis Masaveu 3-2 in the semifinals.
It's worth remembering that more than 5,000 golfers applied for a place in this US Amateur, with only 311 getting in. And among them all, José Luis Ballester was the best.
José Luis Ballester's brilliant track record
José Luis Ballester's sporting career boasts numerous outstanding achievements, beginning with his victory in the 2013 Spanish Benjamin Championship. He subsequently triumphed in several important tournaments, including the 2015 Spanish Alevín Championship; the 2016 and 2017 Spanish Infantil Championship; the 2019 Spanish Sub-16 Championship; the 2020 Copa SM El Rey; the 2023 European Individual Championship; and won gold medals at the 2022 and 2023 European Team Championships.
END
José Luis Ballester (ESP) defeats Noah Kent (USA) by 2up
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