Young ASU Alum is Taking the Golf World By Storm

Some may consider the game of golf “uppity,” or even “uptight.” It’s a sport defined by decorum — but as the game continues to evolve, so do its stars.

José Luis Ballester is one of them, and he marches to the beat of his own drum. If he rubs some people the wrong way, so be it.

Instead of walking through the front door, the 21-year-old golfer kicked it down — whether by “admiring” Augusta National’s Rae’s Creek, or signing with the non-traditional powerhouse, LIV Golf.

He didn’t just pop out of nowhere. Ballester comes from a long line of dominant athletes. Both of his parents were Olympians, with his mother, Sonia Barrio, capturing gold in field hockey at the 1992 Olympics.

Success seemed inevitable for the Arizona State alum. He spent much of his youth being coached by Sergio García’s father, and considers Sergio himself a mentor.

That connection may be why he signed on to team up with García on LIV’s Fireballs GC.

Ballester played on Arizona State’s men’s golf team from 2021 through 2025, earning All-American honors and catapulting into the spotlight.

The game came naturally to Ballester. Before joining ASU, he won the 2020 Spanish Amateur Open. He followed that with the 2023 European Amateur and, eventually, the 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship.

Accolades like that tend to get you noticed.

Ballester was invited to compete in the 2025 Masters as an amateur — and his youthful energy was already turning heads.

During the first round at Augusta, Ballester took it upon himself to use the “facilities” mid-round. With no restroom nearby, he did what many weekend warriors might: he urinated in Rae’s Creek.

To him, it wasn’t a big deal. After all, we’re told as kids, “When you have to go, you go.” He took that literally:

“It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”

While some fans found it relatable, the backlash followed. Daily Mail called the act “disgusting,” while Fox News labeled it “unsavory.” Eventually, Ballester apologized to Augusta National.

Continuing his habit of going left when others go right, Ballester skipped the Korn Ferry Tour and signed with LIV Golf — officially making his professional debut this weekend at LIV Golf Virginia, alongside García and the Fireballs.

His effervescent personality aligns perfectly with LIV — a league that favors bold over buttoned-up. He doesn’t walk the traditional path. He bulldozes it.

Some see him as a disruptor. But younger golf fans? They’re lining up behind him. With a decorated amateur résumé and a controversial flair, the only question left is:

Can José Luis Ballester hang with the big boys?

Guess we’ll find out this weekend.