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The reigning U.S. Amateur champion, Jose Luis Ballester, has made the choice to head to LIV Golf.
The Spanish youngster is set for his professional debut in Virginia in the Saudi Arabia-backed league.
LIV Golf announced that Ballester, who goes by Josele, signed a multi-year deal to join the league, where he will be a part of the Fireballs team led by his fellow compatriot Sergio Garcia.
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Jose Luis Ballester plays his shot from the first tee during the first round of the Masters Tournament. (Peter Casey-Imagn Images)
Ballester also joins Abraham Ancer and David Puig on the Fireballs squad. Luis Masaveu, though, loses his full-time slot with the team.
“We are very excited about Josele joining the team,” Garcia said in a statement. “Personally, I have known him since he could pick up a golf club and he has worked with my father as his coach throughout his golf career.”
JOSE LUIS BALLESTER APOLOGIZES FOR APPARENT UNSAVORY ACTIONS DURING FIRST ROUND ACTIONS AT MASTERS
Not only does the 21-year-old have a connection with his new team captain, but he is also connected with Jon Rahm, another Spaniard on LIV.
Their connection also involves Arizona State, the alma mater for both golfers as well as Phil Mickelson, who has been a face for LIV Golf since its inception.
Ballester was able to join the Korn Ferry Tour, which is a step below the PGA Tour, after finishing third in the PGA Tour University standings this year. However, Golf Channel reported on Monday that he declined membership on that tour, beginning speculation that he might be heading to LIV.
Josele Ballester of Spain tees off on the 1th hole on day one of the acciona Open de España presented by Madrid 2024 at Club de Campo Villa de Madrid on Sept. 26, 2024, in Madrid, Spain (Mateo Villalba/Getty Images)
Ballester has already participated in a major, though, playing in this year’s Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in April. He didn’t make the cut, but he did have a viral moment after admitting he urinated in the famous Rae’s Creek, which sits on the par-5 13th hole as the final leg of the three-hole “Amen Corner.”
Ballester said it was an emergency, but he caught a ton of flak on social media for what many believed was him being disrespectful at one of the most historic courses in the world.
“I’m like, ‘I really need to pee.’ Didn’t really know where to go, and since [Justin Thomas] had an issue on the green, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me much,’ and then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny,” Ballester, who shot a 4-over 76, said after his first round.
“They saw me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again,” he said.
Jose Luis Ballester tees off on no. 5 during the first round of the Masters Tournament. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
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Ballester said that he apologized for relieving himself in Rae’s Creek to Augusta National officials.
Ballester will join his new LIV Golf peers at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on June 6 for his debut round on tour.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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