Jose Luis Ballester Barrio

The late great Seve Ballesteros is still sorely missed at The Open, of course, but this year we do have Jose Luis Ballester Barrio, who clinched his spot in the field at Hoylake with a two-stroke, wire-to-wire victory in the European Amateur Championship in Estonia at the start of this month.

The 19-year-old, whose mother and father won Olympic gold in hockey and sailing respectively, opened the week with a 10-under-par 62 and went on to triumph with a 21-under-par total, thus becoming the first Spanish winner of the title since Sergio Garcia in 1995.

Other former holders of the trophy include Rory McIlroy, whose victory came in 2006 at the age of 17.

Like Garcia, Ballester Barrio comes from the province of Castellon. Last year he secured the winning point for Spain in the European Amateur Team Championship at Royal St George’s in Kent.

Known as Josele rather than Jose Luis, he lifted the Spanish International Amateur title in 2020 and plays for the Arizona State University Sun Devils – as did compatriot Jon Rahm. In his freshman year of 2021-22 had five top-five finishes in nine stroke play events.