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Josele Ballester

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ballester and the second or maternal family name is Barrio.
José Luis Ballester
Personal information
Full nameJosé Luis Ballester Barrio
NicknameJosele
Born (2003-08-18) 18 August 2003 (age 21)
Castellón de la Plana, Castellón, Spain
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight180 lb (82 kg; 13 st)
Sporting nationality Spain
Career
CollegeArizona State University
Turned professional2025
Current tour(s)LIV Golf
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentCUT: 2025
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenCUT: 2025
The Open ChampionshipCUT: 2023

José Luis "Josele" Ballester Barrio[1][2] (born 18 August 2003) is a Spanish professional golfer who plays on LIV Golf. He won the 2020 Spanish Amateur, 2023 European Amateur and 2024 U.S. Amateur.

Early life and family

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Ballester was born in Castellón and is known as Josele. His parents are José Luis Ballester, an Olympic swimmer, and Sonia Barrio, a field hockey player who won gold at the 1992 Summer Olympics.[3] Ballester is coached by Sergio García's father and considers Sergio to be a mentor, and uses Joaquín Niemann's mental coach.[4]

Amateur career

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Ballester had a successful junior career and lost the final of the 2018 Boys Amateur Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club to Conor Gough, 3 and 1.[5][6] In 2019, he won the Spanish U-16 Championship and played for Spain in the European Young Masters, where he won silver at Kunětická Hora in the Czech Republic.[7] He was runner-up at the 2019 Junior Orange Bowl International and the 2020 Desert Amateur in the United States.[8]

Ballester won the 2020 Spanish Amateur at Real Club Sevilla Golf, beating Jannik De Bruyn of Germany, 3 and 1, in the final.[9]

Ballester attended Arizona State University from 2021 to 2025, and played with the Arizona State Sun Devils men's golf team, where he earned All-American honors twice.[10] He has trained with Sun Devils alumni Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.[4] At the 2022 Arnold Palmer Cup in Switzerland, he replaced Eugenio Chacarra who turned professional before the event. Ballester won 3.5 of 4 possible points as the international team beat the Americans 33–27.[11]

In 2023, he won the European Amateur by 2 strokes at Pärnu Bay Golf Links in Estonia, which earned him invitation to the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club.[12]

He won the 2024 U.S. Amateur, 2 up, against Noah Kent at Hazeltine National Golf Club to capture the Havemeyer Trophy.[13]

In 2025, Ballester competed in the Masters Tournament and made headlines during the first round when he urinated in a tributary of Rae's Creek.[14][15][16] He was seen by some members of the crowd, who cheered; Ballester – who shot a 4-over-par 76 in the round – later remarked that it was "Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud. So that was kind of funny." Initially, Ballester appeared unremorseful, saying, "It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again." He later clarified that he had apologized to Augusta National Golf Club.[16][17] Ballester followed his 76 on Thursday with a 6-over 78 on Friday, missing the cut by eight shots.[16][17]

Professional career

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Ballester finished third in the PGA Tour University standings, earning him full Korn Ferry Tour status, but declined membership in June 2025 and signed with Sergio García's Fireballs GC team on the LIV Golf League, making his professional debut at the Washington, D.C. event.[18]

Amateur wins

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Source:[8]

Results in major championships

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Tournament 2023 2024 2025
Masters Tournament CUT
PGA Championship
U.S. Open CUT
The Open Championship CUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut

Team appearances

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Amateur

Source:[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Josele Ballester". LIV Golf. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  2. ^ Leighfield, Jonny (4 June 2025). "LIV Golf's Fireballs Add US Amateur Champion Josele Ballester To Roster". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  3. ^ Gussoni, Andrea. "Josele Ballester, a new spanish Tiger Woods". Tennis World USA. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  4. ^ a b Cooper, Matt (18 July 2023). "Open Championship diary day two: Matt Cooper reports from Royal Liverpool". Sporting Life. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  5. ^ "R&A Championships and International Matches 2018" (PDF). The R&A. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Gough wins British Boys, Irish parents thrilled". Irish Golf Desk. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  7. ^ "José Luis Ballester wins the Spanish Under 16 Championship". Mediterráneo Golf. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  8. ^ a b c "Jose Luis Ballester Barrio". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
  9. ^ "El castellonense José Luis Ballester, campeón de la Copa del Rey de Golf 2020" (in Spanish). Castellon Plaza. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  10. ^ "Men's Golf Roster: Josele Ballester". Sun Devil Athletics. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  11. ^ "Team International Wins 2022 Palmer Cup". Arnold Palmer Cup. 20 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Jose Luis Ballester Crowned European Amateur Champion in Estonia". European Golf Association. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  13. ^ Jourdan, Cameron (18 August 2024). "Vamos! Josele Ballester wins 2024 U.S. Amateur, makes history as first Spaniard to win championship". Golfweek. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  14. ^ Wilson, Dave (10 April 2025). "Jose Luis Ballester takes Masters potty break in Rae's Creek". ESPN. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  15. ^ Meyer, Craig (10 April 2025). "Masters amateur Jose Luis Ballester urinates in Rae's Creek tributary during first round". USA Today. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  16. ^ a b c Berhow, Josh (11 April 2025). "Masters competitor apologizes for shocking breach of etiquette". Golf Magazine. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  17. ^ a b Herrington, Ryan (11 April 2025). "Masters 2025: Amateur apologizes to Augusta National after incident at Rae's Creek". Golf Digest. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  18. ^ "U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester of Spain joins LIV Golf". ESPN. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
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