Arizona State’s Ballester wins U.S. Amateur 2 up
Arizona State’s Ballester wins U.S. Amateur 2 up
Scottsdale, AZ – Arizona State University senior Alfredo Ballester took home the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship on Sunday at Oakmont Country Club with a 2-up victory over Sam Bennett of the University of Texas.
Ballester, the No. 10 seed, entered the final day of stroke play at even par, three strokes off the lead. He birdied the first two holes of the day and stayed in contention with five birdies over his final 10 holes. He finished tied for second at 3-under-par 277, setting up a Sunday showdown with Oklahoma State’s Eugenio Chacarra.
Ballester defeated Chacarra 1-up in the semifinals, which set the stage for his championship match against Bennett. The ASU senior trailed by one through 12 holes but won the 13th hole with a conceded birdie and evened the match again with a birdie on the 15th, eventually taking the championship on the 18th hole.
The win marks Ballester’s first USGA title and his third victory of his collegiate career.
