Jose Luis Ballester Becomes the First Spanish Winner of the U.S. Amateur

As the men’s professional golf seasons wind down, it’s the time of year for the golf world to start looking ahead to the next generation of stars. This weekend’s highly competitive U.S. Amateur provided a prime opportunity to watch some of the best amateur golfers showcase their skills at the highest amateur level.

After knocking out Illinois standout Jackson Buchanan in the semifinal, rising Iowa sophomore Noah Kent entered the final with impressive poise and swagger. In my favorite piece of reporting from the whole event, Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine shared this text exchange between Kent and Iowa coach Tyler Stith. “I am that person” is quite a response.

One of those days you just didn’t want to end!

Check out some of the outstanding shots from our U.S. Amateur championship match 👏 pic.twitter.com/fbiXRQKqbi

— USGA (@USGA) August 18, 2024

Kent battled admirably in the final, but it was Arizona State rising senior Jose Luis Ballester who celebrated his 21st birthday in dramatic fashion and left Hazeltine with the victory. Ballester never trailed in the match, building a commanding 4-up lead through the morning session. Kent holed a short-sided chip shot to kick off the final 18 holes and then kept chipping away at the deficit all afternoon, ultimately pulling within one entering the 36th hole. With the tournament hanging in the balance, Ballester stepped up and delivered two nearly perfect shots into the long par-4 18th, closing out the match 2 up to become the first Spaniard to win the Havemeyer Trophy.

During the final round telecast, Golf Channel showed a video of fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia offering words of support for Ballester, decorated with a Fireballs logo prominently displayed on his shirt. Deion Sanders and Sergio Garcia, the greatest recruiters of our time. Relatedly, it’ll be interesting to watch how elite-level amateurs like Ballester navigate their transitions into professional golf, particularly in this evolving pro landscape in which multiple lucrative pathways are accessible.

This piece originally appeared in the Fried Egg Golf newsletter. Subscribe for free and receive golf news and insight every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.