Jose Luis Balester won the 2024 U.S. Amateur
Jose Luis Ballester has a big spring season ahead of him as he chases the top spot in the PGA Tour U rankings. In August, he became the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Amateur in 2024. His all-around game was on full display as he shrugged off opponents with power and finesse. He rode that momentum into September and won his first and second college events of his career.
Just five months later, Ballester is teeing it up in the WM Open down the road from Arizona State, where he plays his college golf. He's watched teammates tee it up at the famously raucous tournament.
"I remember being here supporting Preston (Summerhayes) in his freshman year, and I saw how wild it is outside," Ballester said on Wednesday. "I was also here my sophomore year and having the opportunity to live that experience in my final season at ASU is going to be really cool."
The Arizona State team is in Hawaii this week competing in the Amer Ari Invitational, which is not a bad consolation prize for that group of Sun Devils. However, it also means Ballester won't have a cadre of Sun Devil teammates at TPC Scottsdale this week.
"I told a few guys on the team that the only thing that they can do to support me is to bring some of those Hawai'i juices they have over there," he said. "That's the thing that I miss the most from that trip. Unfortunately, they're not going to be here to support me, but hopefully, they'll be watching on TV."
While it's exciting to tee it up in a PGA Tour event in the shadow of his college campus, Ballester has a lot to play for this week and the remainder of his senior year. He's currently No. 2 in the PGA Tour University ranking.
David Ford had a splendid fall and leapfrogged everyone to reach the top spot. Now Ballester is the chaser, and a good week in the WM Open could go a long way. Of course, Luke Clanton, who is also in the field, can earn his PGA Tour card on Friday if he makes the cut.
"Obviously it's on my mind," he said. "I didn't start that well at the beginning of the year. I think I was ninth, but played good in the fall and kind of moved myself to the top of the rankings. I've checked the rankings, and it's going to be really, really tight this year."
He appreciates the program and how it's helped golfers get a start in their careers while shining a spotlight on college golf.
"It's awesome. The best thing that they're doing is they're promoting college," he said. "They're promoting guys like me to stay four years, which maybe you didn't see that many players before, especially the top ones when they were trying to pursue their professional career."
Both of Ballester's parents were Olympians and helped him realize his potential on the golf course. He father, also named Jose Luis Ballester, represented Spain in three Olympic Games (1988, 1992, and 1996), specializing in butterfly events. His mother, Sonia Barrio, was a field hockey player who won a gold medal with the Spanish team at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
"They've always been super supportive," he said. "The good thing about having Olympian athletes as your parents is that they really know how hard it is to make it to the top, and they've always been very strict with me growing up during practices, but they know how hard it is outside to compete and to actually do good."
Over the course of his career, Ballester has won not only the U.S. Amateur but also the European Amateur Championship in 2023, earning him a spot in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Now, he's in the home stretch of his amateur career, trying to make a big step into his professional career. And he knows this week is a nice proving ground.
"I'd like to show myself that I'm able to compete among the best players in the world. I had the opportunity to play at The Open Championship 2023," he said. "I think I did a good job, and not playing good, I ended up missing the cut by one or two strokes, and I felt that I didn't even play good."
He learned a lot in Royal Liverool.
"This year, almost like 18 months after, I feel like my game has become better. I've matured as a golfer and as a person," he said. "It's going to be tough with all the crowd and all the people out there, but I always say the same; I play for myself and hopefully I can demonstrate that I'm able to belong to this group."
Of course, the fun will come on the 16th hole, which might mirror some of ASU's frat parties.
"It was at 10 percent of its capacity (on Tuesday), and it felt pretty shocking, so I can only imagine how it's going to be on Friday because I'm playing last off tomorrow," he said. "So I would think maybe there's not going to be much people tomorrow when I reach 16, but Friday is going to be pretty packed. I'll just let that adrenaline hit me a little bit and see how I do."