Spanish Sun Devil Hoists U.S. Amateur Trophy at Hazeltine

José Luis Ballester, of Castellón, Spain, defeats University of Iowa Hawkeye Noah Kent 2-up in an exciting 36-hole match-play finale.

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Celebrating his 21st birthday, Arizona State University golfer José Luis Ballester survived a late surge by the University of Iowa’s Noah Kent to claim the 124th U.S. Amateur Championship, Aug. 18 at Hazeltine National Golf Club. In just his second start at a USGA championship, Ballester entered the record books as the first Spaniard and fourth Sun Devil to hoist the Havemeyer Trophy, joining Billy Mayfair (1987), Phil Mickelson (1990) and Jeff Quinney (2000).

“I think I’m still not conscious of what just happened today,” Ballester joked following the championship match. “[I’m] super thankful to have the opportunity to live this moment, especially on my 21st birthday.”

Setting the tone early in the finals, Ballester birdied two of his first four holes to jump out to a 3-up lead over Kent, extending his lead to four following the first 18 holes of play.

Ballester stumbled late in the round with a string of wayward iron shots, leading to a series of two bogeys and a double-bogey to allow Kent to pull within one hole of Ballester.

Bailed out by a spectacular short game on multiple occasions during the week, Ballester drew comparisons to fellow Spaniards Seve Ballesteros and friend Sergio García.

“I think it’s in the blood; it has to be,” Ballester said. “I’ve been working a lot on my short game lately. Even with my wedges, I feel like I was really good this week. It’s always nice to hear that comparison; I’m pretty happy they can say that about my short game.”

In stroke-play qualifying, Ballester carded a 2-under 68 at Chaska Town Course and a 1-over 73 at Hazeltine to earn the No. 47 seed for match play. In the Round of 64, he ousted Ben James, the fifth-ranked amateur in the world, 2 and 1, before a 3-and-2 victory over Big 12 Conference rival Tiger Christensen from the University of Arizona in the Round of 32.

During his Round of 16 match against Christian Brand, Ballester carded two late birdies to pull out a victory, 2 and 1, to reach the quarterfinals. Falling behind Texan Bobby Massa during the front nine, Ballester again carded a pair of late birdies to edge Massa, 3 and 1, to advance to the semifinal round.

Squaring off against countryman Luis Masaveu, Ballester drew even at the par-4 ninth and rallied with a late birdie to reach the finals in his second appearance at the U.S. Amateur. Ballester missed the cut for match play by three strokes last year at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver. 

For Hawkeye sophomore Noah Kent, a promising week ended in disappointment. Kent, who trailed in just five holes over his first 83 holes of match play, fell behind Ballester on the second hole during the final match, and he would trail for the remaining 34 holes to finish as runner-up in his first USGA event.

“You don’t want to be four-down going into an 18-hole match, but it’s been done before, and I kept telling myself that,” Kent said following the final match. “Everybody in my corner kept telling me that. I fought like crazy out there … and I made it to 18.”

One down at the par-4 18th, Kent found the fairway bunker, over-shot the green and could not hole out for a birdie 3 to put pressure on Ballester, who had two putts from 15-feet to become the first Spaniard to claim the championship.

A runner-up finish will likely come with perks for the Hawkeye golfer in the way of an invite to both the 2025 Masters Tournament, as well as the U.S. Open.

“It means the world. I kind of made a joke to [swing coach Claude Harmon] the other day. He teaches [Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson]. I’d like to play a practice round with them. It would be pretty cool,” Kent said. “He’s like, ‘I know a guy who can set this up.’ We have a college tournament before the Masters. I made a joke to my coach before the week, I could still play. I want to go play the [Masters] Par-3 Contest now.”

How the Locals Fared at the U.S. Amateur
Seven golfers with ties to Minnesota and the MGA were among the 4,970 entrants accepted by the USGA for this year’s U.S. Amateur championship’s two-stage qualifying. One, Jacques Wilson of Chaska, posted a course-record 64 during local qualifying June 26 at Dacotah Ridge in Morton, and another 64 July 24 at the Aldeen Golf Club in Rockford, Illinois, during final qualifying. Two others, Nate Deziel of East Grand Forks and Josh Persons of Fargo, North Dakota, gained entry by virtue of their wins at the MGA and North Dakota Amateur championships, respectively. This is the first year of a new USGA exemption for winners of allied golf association amateur championships. 

The entrants were whittled down to 312 players who played 18 holes of stroke play, Aug. 12-13, at Hazeltine National Golf Club and the Chaska Town Course, par 72 and 70, and 7,552 and 6,804 yards, respectively. 

It was a disappointing finish for local favorite Gunnar Broin of Shorewood, who fell to 21-year-old Spaniard Luis Masaveu, 3 and 2, during the opening round of match play for the second time in his three U.S. Amateur appearances.

“It was a fun week. I had a good time with family and friends, and I enjoyed the experience,” the Kansas University senior said following his round. “I’m trying to take everything in because I don’t know how many U.S. Amateurs I’ve got left. Being back basically in my backyard was fun. I’ll take some confidence going forward into the collegiate season.

“[Masaveu] just beat me today. I think I was even par, which is pretty good in these conditions, but he just outplayed me. I know where to hit it, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to hit it there. The course was tough, playing like it should be—big and brutal.”

Following a 2-over 74 at Hazeltine National, the former Minnetonka High School standout needed a pair of birdies on his final two holes at Chaska TC to finish the first two rounds of stroke play at even par 142, tied for 54th and bound for a playoff. 

“It would mean a lot just to get an opportunity to play in match play. I mean, that’s the whole goal for the week, right?” Broin said. “At least I gave it a run there at the end and birdied the last two. Good or bad, it’s exciting to be here; it’s exciting to at least feel the pressure and this atmosphere.”

In a 14-way playoff for 11 spots, Broin birdied the par-3 17th hole to earn the 62nd seed, before facing Masaveu, who would reach the semifinals, in the Round of 64.

Stillwater’s Ben Warian, who was on the bubble to make the cut, missed the green at Hazeltine’s 18th, made a bogey for 74 and fell short of match play by the slimmest of margins: one shot, 69-74—143.

Also in the field but not advancing to match play were: 

 Jacques Wilson, Chaska, 72-72—144
 Sam Udovich, Inver Grove Heights, 74-74—148
 Nate Deziel, East Grand Forks, 84-69—153
 Josh Persons, Fargo, North Dakota, 81-74—155
 Jacob Pedersen, Shorewood, 73-83—156