José Luis Ballester (golfer)

José Luis Ballester Barrio (born 18 August 2003) is a Spanish amateur golfer. He won the 2020 Spanish Amateur and the European Amateur and European Amateur Team Championship in 2023.

Early life and family
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. Ballester is coached by Sergio García's father and considers Sergio to be a mentor, and uses Joaquín Niemann's mental coach.

Amateur career
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. 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. He was runner-up at the 2019 Junior Orange Bowl International and the 2020 Desert Amateur in the United States.

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

In 2021, Ballester enrolled at Arizona State University and started playing college golf with the Arizona State Sun Devils men's golf team, where he earned All-American honors in each of his first two seasons. He has trained with Sun Devils alumni Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson.

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.

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.

Amateur wins

 * 2018 Campeonato Sub18 Comunidad Valenciana, Campeonato Absoluto de las Comunidad Valenciana
 * 2019 Campeonato de Castellon, Campeonato de Espana Sub-16
 * 2020 Spanish Amateur (Copa S.M. el Rey), Copa Match Play Comunidad Valenciana
 * 2023 European Amateur, European Amateur Team Championship (individual medalist)

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Results in major championships
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"T" = tied

Team appearances
Amateur
 * European Young Masters (representing Spain): 2019
 * European Boys' Team Championship (representing Spain): 2019, 2021
 * European Amateur Team Championship (representing Spain): 2022, 2023 (winners), 2024
 * Arnold Palmer Cup (representing the International team): 2022 (winners), 2023, 2024
 * Eisenhower Trophy (representing Spain): 2023

Source: