WATCH: Every televised shot of the 2024 U.S. Amateur final
Noah Kent (left) and Jose Luis Ballester (USGA photo)
The US Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club is over and Jose Luis Ballester has become the first Spaniard to win the US Amateur and only the second to win a USGA championship title (Jon Rahm 2021 US Open). Now we can look back and see how it all came about.
Ballester defeated rising sophomore Noah Kent in a one-on-one match in the final game and had to survive a furious comeback from Kent at the end of the game.
He is also the fourth Arizona State Sun Devil to have his name engraved on the Havemeyer Trophy, joining Billy Mayfair (1987), Phil Mickelson (1990) and Jeff Quinney (2000).
“I don’t think I’ve even fully grasped what happened today,” Ballester told the USGA after the win. “I’m incredibly grateful that I had the opportunity to experience this moment, especially on my 21st birthday. That’s what I’m reflecting on now.”
Ballester added: “Super sweet. We have a lot of great Spanish people again, a lot of great legends, and to be able to write my name in this history is really sweet.”
RELATED:
Jose Luis Ballester celebrates his 21st birthday with victory at the US Amateur
Amateur Golf Podcast: Ballester wins in Minnesota
ABOUT THE
US Amateur
The US Amateur, the oldest USGA championship, was first held in 1895 at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The event, which has no age restrictions, is open to players with a handicap index of 2.4 or less. It is one of 14 national championships held annually by the USGA, 10 of which are reserved exclusively for amateurs. It is the most important amateur competition in the world. Applications are usually submitted online in the spring at www.usga.org.
View full tournament information
