U.S. Amateur: Meet the Final Four
8/16/2024 | by Justin Golba of AmateurGolf.com
see also: U.S. Amateur, a USGA Championship, Merion Golf Club - East Course
Luis Masaveu, Jose Luis Ballester, Noah Kent and Jackson Buchanan are the four golfers left in Minnesota
After starting the week with 312 golfers, the U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club is down to the Final Four, and each has a different story to tell.
Jackson Buchanan, of Dacula, Ga.
Buchanan is competing in his second U.S. Amateur Championship, having advanced to the Round of 32 last year at Cherry Hills. He played in the 2024 U.S. Open after qualifying, missing the cut by one shot. The rising senior at Illinois was the 2024 Big Ten Player of the Year, winning the Duck Invitational.
He finished in solo second place at the 2024 Big Ten Championships and T5 at the 2023 Big Ten Championships. He finished in solo second place at the 2022 NCAA Championships. He is currently ranked No. 8 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings.
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.
Luis Masaveu, 21, of Spain
The 2024 Portuguese International Amateur champion is currently ranked No. 21 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings and is competing in his first U.S. Amateur Championship and first USGA championship. He made the cut in the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, finishing 78th, and was the runner-up at the 2024 Spanish Amateur.
He represented Spain in the 2022 and 2023 World Amateur Team Championships and was the runner-up in the 2023 Lytham Trophy.
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.
Quarterfinal results
No. 41. Noah Kent def. No. 64 Ethan Fang 3 and 2
No. 53 Jackson Buchanan def. No. 20 Jacob Modleski 4 and 3
No. 47 Jose Luis Ballester def. No. 23 Bobby Massa 3 and 1
No. 3 Luis Masaveu def. No. 27 Brendon Valdes 3 and 2
Final Four matchups
No. 41 Noah Kent vs. No. 53 Jackson Buchanan 2:00 p.m. ET
No. 3 Luis Masaveu vs. No. 47 Jose Luis Ballester 2:10 p.m. ET
Most Popular Articles
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Guide: Sites, Scores, and Who Advanced
Dec 5, 2025Second Stage is complete and Final Stage awaits at Sawgrass — follow every Q-School leaderboard and the players still chasing
2025 LPGA TOUR Q-Series: Final Qualifying Stage FINAL SCORING
Dec 8, 2025Helen Briem earns medalist honors, 31 players headed to the LPGA next year
Australian Open at Royal Melbourne: Preview, amateur bios, and how to watch
Nov 30, 2025Rory McIlroy headlines one of the championship's top fields in years - at least four amateurs will have their chance at glory
2025 PGA TOUR Q-School Final Stage: Ewart Leads Five New TOUR Card Winners
Dec 14, 2025A.J. Ewart topped Final Stage at TPC Sawgrass, leading five players who secured PGA TOUR membership for 2026.
Luke Ringkamp Cruises to Rolex Tournament of Champions Title at TPC San Antonio
Nov 26, 2025One week after committing to Pepperdine, Luke Ringkamp won the Rolex Tournament of Champions by nine shots.Loading latest news...