Jose Luis Ballester,20, of Spain

WAGR: 10 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 34
Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship and second USGA championship
Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills
Three top 10 finishes in 2024
Rising senior at Arizona State University, where he earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of two first seasons
2023 European Amateur champion
Played in 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool
The son of two Olympians, his parents competed in three different Olympic games – his father as a swimmer, his mother as field hockey player, who earned a gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona

Road to the Quarterfinals:  

Shot 68 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 47 seed
R64: Def. Benjamin James, 2 and 1
R32: Def. Tiger Christensen, 3 and 1
R16: Def. Christian Brand, 2 and 1

Jackson Buchanan, 22, of Dacula, Ga.

WAGR: 17 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 8
Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, and third USGA championship
Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills
Played in 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, missing the cut by one stroke
Rising senior at University of Illinois
2024 Big Ten Player of the Year, leading the Illini to the NCAA Championships, where they won the stroke-play portion
Runner-up at 2024 Big Ten Championship
Won the 2024 Duck Invitational
As a sophomore, was individual runner-up at 2022 NCAA Championship

Road to the Quarterfinals:  

Shot 72 – 69 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed
R64: Def. Preston Summerhays, 2 up
R32: Def. Luke Clanton, 1 up
R16: Def. Tyler Mawhinney, 1 up

Ethan Fang, 19, of Plano, Texas

WAGR: 75 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 193
Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship
Advanced to Round of 16 in 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes and Round of 64 in 2023 at Daniel Island Club
After playing his freshman season at University of California-Berkeley, transferred to Oklahoma State for the 2024-25 season
Runner-up at 2024 Pauma Valley Invitational
Finished T-3 at 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Golf Championship
Recorded top 10s at this year’s John Burns Intercollegiate and Southwestern Invitational

Road to the Quarterfinals:  

Shot 78 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 64 seed
R64: Def. Jimmy Ellis, 2 up
R32: Def. Zach Adams, 2 and 1
R16: Def. Bastien Amat, 2 up

Noah Kent, 19, of Naples, Fla.

WAGR: 560 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 212
Competing in first USGA championship
Rising sophomore at University of Iowa
Finished second at the 2024 Porter Cup
Recorded a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic
Runner-up in 2023 Wester Junior Championship
Finished inside top 25 in five of seven fall events
His father, David, competed in the 1990 U.S. Junior Amateur
His stepdad, Dana Fry, was part of the design team at Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open and 2025 U.S. Women’s Open

Road to the Quarterfinals:

Shot 77 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 41 seed
R64: Def. Xihuan Chang, 4 and 2
R32: Def. Tom Fischer, 2 and 1
R16: Def. Garrett Engle, 4 and 2

Luis Masaveu, 21, of Spain

Luis Masaveu

Road to the Quarterfinals:

Shot 70 – 65 in stroke play to earn the No. 3 seed
R64: Def. Gunnar Broin, 3 and 2
R32: Def. Jackson Herrington, 1 up
R16: Def. Phichaksn Maichon, 3 and 2

Bobby Massa, 36, of Dallas, Texas.

WAGR: 2969 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 512
Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship
Advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow Country Club
Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills by one stroke
Works as a physical trainer at Sanders Fit Performance Center in Dallas
Holds the University of Texas at Arlington record for lowest career stroke average, and holds three of the lowest seven scores in school history
His father, Joel, was a baseball and golf letterwinner at UT Arlington
First mid-amateur since Stewart Hagestad in 2022 to reach final eight in the U.S. Amateur

Road to the Quarterfinals:

Shot 67 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 23 seed
R64: Def. Luke Sample, 2 and 1
R32: Def. Ratchanon Tk Chantananuwat, 1 up
R16: Def. Ashton McCulloch, 24 holes

Jacob Modleski, 19, of Nobelsville, Ind.

WAGR: 84 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 86
Rising sophomore at Notre Dame
Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship
Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills
Missed cut in 2022 U.S. Junior Championship at Bandon Dunes
Earned his first collegiate win at the 2024 Johnnie-O at Sea Island
Won the 2024 Jones Cup Invitational
Recorded eight top-15 individual finishes this year

Road to the Quarterfinals:

Shot 75 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 20 seed
R64: Def. Wells Williams, 4 and 2
R32: Def. Tommy Morrison, 3 and 2
R16: Def. Omar Morales, 2 and 1

Brendan Valdes, 21, of Orlando, Fla.

WAGR: 11 / Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com: 11
Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, fifth USGA championship
Qualified for U.S. Opens at Pinehurst and The Los Angeles Country Club
Rising senior at Auburn; first-team All-American for 2024 NCAA Champions 
Member of victorious 2024 U.S. Palmer Cup team
2024 Mossy Oak Collegiate champion
Runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional
Finished third at the 2024 Tiger Invitational
Won the Boys’ 14-15 division of 2018 Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship

Road to the Quarterfinals:

Shot 70 – 70 in stroke play to earn the No. 27 seed
R64: Def. Lars Van Der Vight, 2 up
R32: Def. Caleb Shetler, 2 and 1
R16: Def. Peter Fountain, 3 and 2