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Spanish amateur who peed in creek at Masters joins LIV Golf

Spanish amateur who peed in creek at Masters joins LIV Golf

CNA2 days ago

Spanish amateur Josele Ballester, who made headlines in April after peeing on the famed Augusta National course during the first round of the Masters, has joined LIV Golf as a member of the Fireballs, the Saudi-funded circuit said on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old reigning U.S. Amateur champion signed a multi-year contract with the Fireballs squad led by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and will make his professional debut at this week's LIV Golf Virginia event.
"I am very excited about the opportunity to join Fireballs GC and continue to learn from Sergio and other greats," Ballester said in a press release.
In his Masters debut, Ballester garnered international attention after he urinated in a tributary to Rae's Creek in view of patrons during a lull in the action while playing partner Justin Thomas dealt with an issue on the 13th green.
Ballester, who is ranked sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, later apologised to Augusta National Golf Club and went on to miss the cut in the year's first major.

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Spanish golfer who peed himself in Rae's Creek during the Masters is now playing for LIV Golf
Spanish golfer who peed himself in Rae's Creek during the Masters is now playing for LIV Golf

Independent Singapore

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Spanish golfer who peed himself in Rae's Creek during the Masters is now playing for LIV Golf

Photo: Spanish golfer Jose Luis Ballester is now joining the LIV Golf and will play under the Fireballs team, led by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Undoubtedly, the athlete has an impressive background in the sport, having won at both the U.S. Amateur and European Amateur. However, he is recently well-known as the man who relieved himself in Rae's Creek at the 2025 Masters. What exactly made the headlines? At the 2025 Masters, Ballester faced an unexpected situation on the famous par-5 13th hole. The athlete was playing against World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas during the first round, and he felt the urgent need to pee. He chose to do so in Rae's Creek at the Augusta National. Ballester then believed he was out of public sight, despite a large crowd watching from around his surroundings. When asked about the incident after the game, he downplayed the fact, saying it was not a big deal. See also Liv Golf stars set for big test at Sentosa's Serapong course He expressed back then: 'Didn't really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green, I'm like, I'm just going to sneak here in the river, and probably people would not see me that much, and then they clapped for me.' Regardless of the incident, LIV Golf signing Ballester is a major step for the Saudi-backed circuit. He has been known as one of the top amateurs in the world for some time now, and it shows that he has the potential to become a professional sooner or later. In a social media post shared by the Fireballs GC, it stated: 'Josele Ballester is a Fireball ⛳️.' Netizens shared their support in the comments section and remarked: 'What a signing 🔥,' 'Good luck Josele 🙌,' 'Congrats, you will do great and have a great team around you 🔥,' 'Congratulations!! Well deserved!' and 'Well earned. After all these years of hard work and sacrifice, you deserve every penny. You're the best 🔥.' In another social media post, the team shared a photo of Ballester and Garcia with a caption: 'From mentee to teammate. 🫶' More netizens commented on the post and said: 'Love to see it!! 🔥🙌,' 'That's really cool. Best of luck,' Good luck in your new stage. A privilege to have watched you grow as a person and as an athlete (translated)', and 'Yeah Josele!! How great you are! Seeing you in the uniform and at that age, what memories that photo brings back. Always great!! (translated).'

Leishman calls out claims that LIV players can't win majors
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Leishman calls out claims that LIV players can't win majors
Leishman calls out claims that LIV players can't win majors

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Leishman calls out claims that LIV players can't win majors

SYDNEY :Australian Marc Leishman has rubbished the idea that players who have defected to the LIV Golf series are ill-prepared to win major championships. The former world number 12, who joined LIV in 2022 after winning six U.S. PGA titles, qualified for next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont on Monday to end his three-year absence from the majors. Leishman grinned when asked about comments made by commentator Brandel Chamblee, who said Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau fell out of contention at last month's PGA Championship because of LIV's format and lack of competition. "I would disagree with that," the 41-year-old told reporters by video call from the U.S. on Thursday. "I think the way our schedule is set up actually lends itself to being able to prepare very well for the majors. "We're playing against great fields every single week on tough golf courses. Yes, it's 54 holes, but it puts a bit of pressure on that first round to get off to a good start because they are a little bit more of a sprint. "We're still playing a lot of golf away from tournaments, enjoying golf more and I think when you are enjoying your golf and it's not so much of a grind, that lends itself to better play. "I would probably disagree with Brandel Chamblee ... a lot." Leishman, whose best finish at a major was a tie for second at the 2015 British Open, felt he could be a title contender in Pennsylvania next week. "Obviously golf's a funny game and you need a lot of stuff to go right on the right weeks, particularly the major weeks," he added. "And sometimes even if you do have your good stuff and you make the parts and you get a couple of lucky breaks, someone can still go crazy and beat you so you need a lot of stuff to go right.

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