Jose Luis Ballester Barrio

Played at Hoylake in 2023 as European amateur champion and returns now after becoming the first Spaniard to capture the US Amateur title since 1895.

Jose Luis Ballester's victory at Hazeltine came on his 21st birthday in August when he overcame compatriot Luis Masaveu in the semi-finals and American Noah Kent on the last green of their 36-hole final. He even borrowed Masaveu’s shorts for that match so that he was dressed in the red and yellow of Spain.

He has been coached by Sergio Garcia’s father Victor and spoke with the former Masters champion on the eve of the final.

The victory earned him a start in both The Masters and US Open, along with The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush.

Ballester, who went into the event 10th in the World Amateur Rankings, is from a sporting family. His mother won an Olympic gold medal in hockey and his father competed in swimming at three Olympic Games.

His European Amateur Championship victory in 2023 came by two strokes in Estonia after he had opened that week with a 10 under par 62. He also won the 2020 Spanish Amateur crown.

Royal Portrush will be familiar territory for Ballester – in 2018 he lost the final of the Boys Amateur championship there to England’s Conor Gough.