Amateur Josele Ballester leaning on college coach's advice ahead of 2025 Masters
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Josele Ballester approached Arizona State's golf coach, Matt Thurmond, with an idea.
The Sun Devils had three tournaments sandwiched between March 17 and April 1, and Ballester — one of five amateurs competing in the 2025 Masters — thought his plate might be overflowing.
'I was like, 'Hey, Coach, maybe I'm going to need one week off,'' Ballester said.
Thurmond looked at his star, declined the notion, and then shot advice: don't change who you are.
'The Masters is such an emotional week, you try to do everything perfect,' Ballester said. 'Coach told me not to start doing different things, or prepare for this tournament in a different way, just because it's more special.'
Ballester earned his Masters invite by capturing the 2024 U.S. Amateur, becoming the first Spaniard to earn the title. Since then, he's competed in the Waste Management Phoenix Open and Mexico Open.
On Tuesday, Ballester began his Masters preparation by picking the brain of 2017 Masters winner Sergio Garcia.
'He's got everything,' Garcia said of his fellow Spaniard. 'A ton of speed, great swing. He has it all.'
Does Sergio see a bit of himself in Josele?
'He hits it way further than I did (as an amateur),' Sergio admitted.
Ballester played Augusta National five times before Masters Week, but it's his recent experiences on the PGA Tour that he plans to rely on.
'Obviously gonna be very nervous on the first tee at Augusta but I have that experience from being on No. 16 at TPC,' Ballester said. 'I was calm. I believed I could hit a good shot under those circumstances.'
Ballester added: 'You gotta act the way you would on a different course. So not be afraid of taking risks when I need to. Also, not be afraid of certain shots. It's what I've done my entire life.'
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