U.S. Amateur: Meet the finalists
Noah Kent (USGA Photo)
The final match of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn., is here, and it will be No. 41 seed Noah Kent against No. 47 seed Jose Luis Ballester.
Kent, a rising sophomore at Iowa, defeated No. 53 Jackson Buchanan in the semifinals, while Ballester defeated close friend and fellow Spaniard No. 3 seed Luis Masaveu in the semifinals.
Noah Kent, 19, of Naples, Fla.
The rising sophomore at Iowa is currently ranked No. 212 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings and is competing in his first USGA championship. He has been playing well recently, finishing second at the 2024 Porter Cup.
At Iowa, he finished inside the top 25 in five of seven fall events, was the runner-up at the 2023 Western Junior Championships, and recorded a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic.
Jose Luis Ballester, 20, of Spain
The rising senior at Arizona State is competing in his second U.S. Amateur Championship, missing the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills. He is currently ranked No. 34 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings and recorded Three top-10 finishes in 2024
He earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of his first two seasons, was the 2023 European Amateur champion, and played in the 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Semifinal results
No. 41 Noah Kent def. No. 53 Jackson Buchanan 2-up
No. 47 Jose Luis Ballester def. No. 3 Luis Masaveu 3 and 2
Final match
No. 41 Noah Kent vs. No. 47 Jose Luis Ballester