Six years ago rule modification enabling Jose Luis Ballester of LIV Golf to compete in the US Open tournament field.
🚀 Got the scoop on that US Open rule change, mate? 🏌️♂️
Imagine being Jose Luis Ballester, hunting pars at the Hazeltine National Golf Club, pulling off a 2-up win against Noah Kent, and clinching the 2024 US Amateur—it's like a Hollywood flick, right?
Well, lucky for him, he made the leap to the pros just a year after, joining the LIV Golf League and Fireballs GC, but guess what? The 2019 USGA rule change allowed him to still compete in the US Open, even after he went pro.
Before the rule change, if you won the US Amateur, you had to keep your amateur status to participate in the US Open—that changed six years back, which saved Ballester some serious stress.
During his professional career with the LIV Golf League and Fireballs GC, Jose Luis Ballester still had the opportunity to compete in the US Open, thanks to the 2019 USGA rule change that allowed professionals to participate even after winning the US Amateur. Remarkably, Ballester had a taste of that victory at the Hazeltine National Golf Club, triumphing over Noah Kent in the 2024 US Amateur, comparable to a thrilling golf movie.
