Particle.news
Download on the App Store
11 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

U.S. Amateur Champion Jose Luis Ballester Joins LIV Golf for Pro Debut at Virginia Event

Spurning a Korn Ferry Tour card, the 21-year-old Spaniard signed a multiyear deal with Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs GC

Jose Luis Ballester of Spain poses with the trophy after the 36-Hole Championship Match of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club on August 18, 2024 in Chaska, Minnesota.
Golf - The Masters - Augusta National Golf Club, Augusta, Georgia, U.S. - April 11, 2025 Spain's Jose Luis Ballester plays out from the bunker on the 2nd hole during the second round REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo
May 15, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Phil Mickelson putts during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Quail Hollow. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/File Photo
Image

Overview

  • Ballester will make his professional debut this week at LIV Golf Virginia under the Fireballs banner.
  • He replaces Luis Masaveu as a full-time Fireballs member while Masaveu shifts to reserve status during David Puig’s injury recovery.
  • Ballester’s longtime coach, Victor Garcia, and Fireballs captain Sergio Garcia share a mentor-protégé bond that influenced his move.
  • As reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he retains his exemption into next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont.
  • His viral Masters moment urinating in Rae’s Creek underscores his rising profile and highlights LIV Golf’s appeal to emerging talent.