[Image: JD Cuban]
It’s safe to say Jose Luis Ballester’s will never forget his Masters debut.
The reigning US Amateur winner didn’t shoot the scores he had hoped; rounds of 76-78 left him at 10-over, missing the cut by eight shots (all five amateurs in the field at Augusta National failed to finish in the top 50 and earn the chance to compete on the weekend). But playing alongside defending Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and two-time major champ Justin Thomas was a thrill unmatched to this point in the 21-year-old Arizona State senior’s young career.
“These guys are here especially because of how good they are around the greens, how much knowledge they have, how good they are at perceiving the slopes and reading greens,” Ballester said on Friday when asked what he learned from his playing partners.
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It’s also safe to say that Ballester’s maiden Masters start will not be forgotten by others, albeit for a different reasons. During Thursday’s first round, while playing the 13th hole, Ballester was spotted by patrons relieving himself in Rae’s Creek. In a post-round interview on Thursday, the Spaniard acknowledged what happened.
“I’m like, I really need to pee,” Ballester said. “Didn’t really know where to go.”
Suffice it to say, the incident created headlines around the globe, something Ballester sounded like he regretted on Friday. “I already apologised to the club,” he noted after his second round, and I think we just move on from this moment.”
Moving on involves finishing out his final season with the Sun Devils this year. The school is ranked third in America, according to the GCAA College Coaches’ poll, with the Big 12 Championship looming, followed then by NCAA Regionals and a hopeful bid to the NCAA Championship at Omni LaCosta Resort in California.
From there, Ballester is expected to begin his pro career with a spot on the Korn Ferry Tour through the rest of 2025 season.
Additionally, Ballester’s U.S. Amateur triumph, the first by a Spaniard, brings with it an exemption into the U.S. Open at Oakmont in June, regardless of his status as an amateur or professional. He also has a spot in the Open Championship at Royal Portrush if he hangs on to his amateur status through July.
Ballester knows the kind of work he needs to put in in the coming months to improve on his Masters performance, and is excited by the challenge.
“I hit many good shots with drivers and irons both days, but what I felt that those guys are in a completely level from where I am is around the greens,” he said. “It was not a great week for me in that aspect, but also looking forward to the next opportunities that I get to see how I compare myself with them.”
