Spaniard amateur star Josele Ballester forays into pro golf with LIV
21-year-old Spaniard Jose Luis Ballester, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion and standout performer at this year’s Europe vs. Asia Ryder Cup-style Amateur All-Star Team Match—Bonallack Trophy—has turned professional and signed with LIV Golf, joining Fireballs GC captained by 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia.
Rishi Narain, who was non-playing captain of the victorious Asia-Pacific All Star Team that defeated Ballester’s Europeans in UAE, commented “Ballester was clearly a notch above everyone else on either team during the tournament. No one came close to beating him in any match. You could clearly see he was going to be a superstar pro in the future.”
Ballester makes his pro debut this week at LIV Golf Virginia, being played from June 6–8 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. He replaces another Spaniard, Luis Masaveu, on the Fireballs’ roster, though Masaveu remains in the line-up this week as a reserve for David Puig, who is sidelined with a back injury.
Ballester recently finished his senior season at Arizona State University, where he rose to World No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. He finished T4 at the NCAA Championship and ranked third in the PGA TOUR University standings, which earned him Korn Ferry Tour status. But earlier this week, Ballester declined the offer—his move to LIV Golf confirming why.
Ballester’s biggest win came last August when he beat Noah Kent 2&1 to win the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine. That victory earned him starts at the Masters and next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he will play as the defending U.S. Am champion.
He also starred at the 2024 Bonallack Trophy in the UAE, winning all five of his matches for Team Europe in a losing effort to the Asia-Pacific side.
From Castellón—the same region as Sergio Garcia—Ballester has long been coached by Victor Garcia, Sergio’s father, and has known the Spanish Major winner for years.
“Josele is going to be a great addition, not only to Fireballs but also to the LIV league,” said Sergio Garcia. “I can’t wait to be by his side as he starts his professional career.”
Ballester joins a growing list of Arizona State alumni in LIV Golf, which includes Jon Rahm (Legion XIII), Phil Mickelson (HyFlyers GC), Paul Casey (Crushers GC), Matt Jones (Ripper GC), and fellow Fireballs teammate David Puig.
Masaveu, who has no playing status on other tours, would face a one-year ban from PGA TOUR events after his final LIV appearance.
Ballester, who attracted unwarranted attention at Augusta earlier this year after relieving himself near Rae’s Creek on the 13th hole (an incident he later apologised for), missed the cut at the Masters but will look for a better showing at Oakmont’s US Open next week – which he gets an invitation to as the reigning US Amateur Champion.
Viewers can catch the final two rounds of LIV Golf Virginia live on FanCode:
June 7 – from 10:30 PM IST
June 8 – from 7:30 PM IST