TEMPE – A tradition unlike any other begins on Thursday, with the 89th Masters getting underway in Augusta. The field is stack with the best golfers in the PGA Tour and in the world. The goal is simple, put on that elusive green jacket, take home the $20 million purse, and be immortalized. The current favorite is defending champion Scottie Scheffler, who is looking to collect his third green jacket in the past four years.
Scheffler tops the rankings and will join forces with former PGA champion Justin Thomas in a highlighted group. Completing this threesome will be 21-year-old Josele Ballester, who is an alumnus of Arizona State University.
Arizona State Golf has announced that Ballester will be part of the featured group.
The Arizona State senior secured his place at Augusta after claiming victory in the U.S. Amateur championship last August. He joins an elite group of four Sun Devils who have won the U.S. Amateur title, including Billy Mayfair, Phil Mickelson, and Jeff Quinney.
Ballester is set to compete alongside a two-time Masters champion and has the chance to demonstrate his skills on the global stage. This would be significant pressure for most rookies, yet Ballester remains undaunted as he approaches the tournament with confidence.
Ballester about the stress of competing at the Masters:
It's an extraordinary and distinctive location, yet ultimately, it's just another golf course," he stated. "If you visit as a newcomer for your inaugural Masters tournament, everything may seem incredibly amazing and exciting – which it certainly is – but you should play as though you were on any other course. Don’t shy away from taking chances or facing particular challenges since this is precisely what I've always done throughout my career.
The main thing I learned is that this is an awesome course. Since discovering it, I feel compelled to approach it with a positive attitude because if I begin viewing it like the Masters at Augusta, my performance could suffer.
Ballester has a chance to showcase Arizona State on a nationwide platform, and he is not overlooking this duty, concentrating on leaving his mark against the top players in the PGA.
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