On his 21st birthday, Spaniard Jose Luis Ballester has won the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine National Golf Club, taking down Noah Kent 2-up. Ballester becomes the first player from Spain to win the U.S. Amateur and just the second (Jon Rahm, 2021 U.S. Open) to win a USGA championship.

Check back with AmateurGolf.com shortly for a full recap.

First 18 holes recap

Ballester started strong in the match, leading Noah Kent 4 UP after the first 18 holes.

Ballester, a rising senior at Arizona State, is making his second appearance in the U.S. Amateur, having missed the cut in 2023 at Cherry Hills. Currently ranked No. 34 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings, he has posted three top-10 finishes in 2024.

Noah Kent, a rising sophomore at Iowa, entered the match ranked No. 212 in the Golfweek/AmateurGolf.com World Rankings. This is his first USGA championship, capping off a solid summer that included a runner-up finish at the 2024 Porter Cup. With Hazeltine National just over 300 miles from Iowa’s campus, Kent had a strong Hawkeye contingent cheering him on, but Ballester wasn’t fazed, using the energy to fuel his early dominance.

After both players parred the opening hole, Ballester quickly took control, winning the next three holes with a birdie on the par-4 2nd, a par on the par-5 3rd, and a chip-in birdie on the par-4 4th, putting him 3 UP after just four holes.

Kent halted the run with a par on the 5th, where Ballester made his first bogey. However, Ballester quickly bounced back with another birdie on the par-3 8th, extending his lead to 3 UP. He maintained this advantage until a bogey on the par-4 14th allowed Kent to narrow the gap. The two exchanged pars on the par-5 15th, with Ballester holding a 2-UP lead with three holes remaining in the morning round.

Late bogeys by Kent on the 16th and 17th holes allowed Ballester to seal the morning round with a pair of steady pars, stretching his lead to 4 UP. The duo closed out the first 18 holes with matching pars on the challenging par-4 18th.

Ballester made four birdies in the morning, while Kent managed just one, on the par-5 11th. Kent won just two holes this morning, making par on the 5th and 14th holes.

Both players are chasing history. Kent aims to become the first Iowa Hawkeye to win the U.S. Amateur, while Ballester seeks to become the first Spaniard to claim the title, joining 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm as only the second Spaniard to win a USGA event.

Regardless of the final outcome, both Kent and Ballester have already earned invitations to the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont and are likely headed to Augusta National for The Masters in April 2025. The eventual champion will also secure a spot in the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

The final 18 holes of the match will begin at 1:00 p.m. local time. Kent has some ground to make up, while Ballester will aim to secure the championship—an unforgettable 21st birthday gift.