podcasts
Why U.S. Amateur winner Josele Ballester had to borrow shorts for his final match
David Berding
A good-luck charm isn’t going to win you a tournament. It’s not going to sink a putt or find the fairway for you. But sometimes, it’ll get you in the right mindset … ready to play the best golf of your life.
Recent U.S. Amateur winner Josele Ballester knows this, which is precisely why he needed to borrow close friend Luis Masaveu’s colorful shorts (after beating him in the semifinals earlier this month at Hazeltine National). Ballester, a Spaniard through and through, wanted to represent his country with confidence, donning a red and yellow get-up to win Havemeyer Trophy, beating American Noah Kent and make a bit of history. And, yes—before you ask—the passed-around shorts were clean.
“[Luis] hadn't used them that week, so they were clean. In Spain, our thing with the team is that when we compete in the championship match, we always wear red and yellow,” Ballester said on The Loop podcast. “I read many 'hate comments' on my outfit, not going to lie, but it's probably people that didn't understand why I was doing it and for the people that I was doing it.
“Every time that I pull out that outfit, I've done great things. I won the European Amateur Championship with it, won the Spanish International Amateur with it, won two European Amateur Team Championships with that outfit. I knew that the crowd was going to be with Noah, but by me wearing that outfit, I knew that my people back in Spain were going to be with me.”
Because of this monumental victory, Ballester has upcoming invites to Oakmont (2025 U.S. Open), Royal Portrush (2025 Open Championship) and, if history holds, Augusta National (2025 Masters). He’s not yet sure if he’ll rock the red and yellow next April in Georgia, but he admitted that he’s already thinking about it.
If you want to hear more from Ballester on his outfit choices, golf with mentor Sergio Garcia and why Arizona State has become a Spanish golf outpost, make sure to listen to this week’s The Loop. We’re also not against you subscribing to the pod. C’mon. Live a little!