Latest news with #AbrahamAncer
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Jose Luis Ballester, who stunned fans with disgusting act at the Masters, makes shock career move
Jose Luis Ballester has signed a major career contract just two months after going viral at Augusta National. The reigning US Amateur has signed a multi-year deal with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, forfeiting his shot at making it on the PGA Tour. The 21-year-old will join fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia's Fireballs team, joining Abraham Ancer and David Puig. He is set to make his professional debut this week at LIV Golf's Virginia event at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club outside Washington, D.C. 'We are very excited about Josele joining the team,' Garcia said in a statement. 'Personally, I have known him since he could pick up a golf club and he has worked with my father as his coach throughout his golf career.' Ballester just wrapped up his senior season at Arizona State - the alma mater of LIV Golf stars Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm. He finished third in the PGA Tour University standings, which earned him full status on the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA Tour's top developmental circuit. However, according to Golf Channel, Ballester declined the offer, instead opting to snub the Tour in favor of its rival breakaway. LIV Golf players have been banned from the PGA Tour for their defections as the truce negotiations between the two circuits drag on. The PGA Tour rejected a $1.5 billion reunification offer from the Saudi Public Investment Fund - which bankrolls the LIV breakaway - in April. Despite missing the cut, Ballester made headlines at The Masters in April when he left the patrons of the hallowed Augusta National stunned. He stirred controversy during the first round when, playing alongside world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, he sported a cap with 'Sun Devils' written upside down on the front. An apparent fashion faux pas among golf's traditionalists. He truly horrified Augusta's most orthodox patrons when he took relief of a very different kind at one of the course's most famous landmarks. Ballester urinated into Rae's Creek at the 13th at the risk of facing punishment from the powers that be at the church of golf. Fans flocked to his girlfriend's Instagram her boyfriend shot to fame at The Masters 'I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,' an unrepentant Ballester explained after he was caught in the act. 'I really needed to pee. I didn't really know where to go…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.' However, he appeared to have avoided the wrath of the Augusta officials over his unscheduled pit stop when he was permitted to return to tee it up for the second round alongside Scheffler and Justin Thomas. Ballester defeated Noah Kent 2 up in the 36-hole U.S. Amateur final at Hazeltine last August. Although he is turning professional, he keeps his spot in next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont as the reigning champion of the USGA's top amateur event. Ballester is the son of two Spanish Olympians with his mother Sonia Barrio winning a gold medal in field hockey at the 1992 Barcelona games. Meanwhile, his father, Jose Luis Ballester Sr., was an Olympic swimmer, who also competed at the University of Florida. Ballester, who hails from Castellón, Spain, has one sister, Julia, who is also a collegiate golfer as a sophomore at Kansas State.
Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Phil Mickelson: LIV 'well on our way' to having world's best golfers
June 4 - Phil Mickelson has been vocal with his praise of LIV Golf since joining the upstart circuit in 2022, celebrating its direction and what he views as forward thinking. On Wednesday, Mickelson applauded the addition of promising young stars as LIV Golf begins to bolster its case for having the world's best golfers. "I think that we're well on our way and not that far away from making that happen, and you're seeing it with these good young players that are coming out," the six-time major champion said. "If you look at the good young players from different parts of the world, not necessarily the United States, you've got Jose Ballester (Spain) and Luis Masaveu (Spain) and Tom McKibbin (Northern Ireland) and these young guys from other parts of the world are really interested in wanting to come to LIV and they get what it's about. "I think over time that's just going to continue to grow just like it has exponentially in the last three years, and I think we're not that far away from having it be what we all want it to be, which is all the best players in the world playing against each other." Ballester, the U.S. Amateur champion, signed a multi-year contract with LIV Golf on Wednesday. Known as "Josele," Ballester will make his professional debut this week at the Virginia event and be part of the Fireballs team captained by fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia. Ballester, 21, will join Abraham Ancer, David Puig and Garcia on Fireballs. Masaveu, 22, will remain in the Fireballs lineup this week for the team while Puig deals with a back injury. McKibbin, 22, signed with LIV in January and joined Jon Rahm, Tyrrell Hatton and Caleb Surratt as part of the Legion XIII team. --Field Level Media
Fox Sports
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
How to watch LIV Golf Mexico City 2025: Schedule, start time, TV channels, tee times, streaming
LIV Golf is back in Mexico City for the sixth event of the 2025 season. Keep reading for more information on dates, times, how to watch and more (all times Eastern). When is LIV Golf Mexico City? The sixth event of the LIV Golf 2025 season tees off on Friday, April 25th and is played until Sunday, April 27th, 2025. Where is LIV Golf Mexico City being played? LIV Golf Mexico City will be played at the Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico. How can I watch LIV Golf Mexico City? What channel will it be on? The LIV Golf Mexico City tournament will be broadcast on FS1, FS2 and the FOX Sports app. Here's how you can watch each round: Round 1 (Friday, April 25th) - 3 p.m. ET (FOX Sports App) Round 1 (Friday, April 25th) - 5 p.m. ET (FS2) Round 2 (Saturday, April 26th) - 2 p.m. ET (FOX Sports App) Round 2 (Saturday, April 26th) - 5 p.m. ET (FS1) Round 3 (Sunday, April 27th) - 2 p.m. ET (FS1) What are the LIV Golf Mexico City Tee Times? Round 1: Friday, April 25 at 3:15 p.m. ET Round 2: Saturday, April 26 at 2:15 p.m. ET Round 3: Sunday, April 27 at 2:05 p.m. ET How can I stream LIV Golf Mexico City? The LIV Golf Mexico City tournament will be available for streaming on the FOX Sports App or . Who is playing in LIV Golf Mexico City? National heroes Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer will be looking to lead their teams to victory at the historic Club de Golf Chapultepec. Check out our guide on how to watch all LIV Golf events . recommended Get more from LIV Golf Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more in this topic
Khaleej Times
21-04-2025
- Sport
- Khaleej Times
This Week in Golf: From Mexico to Milan - big names, big money, and a major on the line
There's no slowing down on the global pro golf circuit. LIV Golf is back in action, teeing off in Mexico with its trademark 54-hole format and a hefty $25 million purse up for grabs. Hometown heroes Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer are sure to fire up the local crowd, joined by the usual cast of LIV stars. Meanwhile, the DP World Tour sticks around in China for the Hainan Classic. It might seem convenient staying in the same country two weeks in a row—until you realize the tour has moved nearly 2,000 kilometers south, with a five-hour flight separating last week's stop from this one. Whoever said scheduling golf tournaments was easy? On the PGA Tour, it's time for the always-entertaining Zurich Classic of New Orleans. This unique team event spices things up with fourballs (betterball) on Thursday and Saturday, and alternate-shot foursomes on Friday and Sunday. While the event offers valuable FedEx Cup points, there are no Masters invitations or OWGR points on the line. Who could forget Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry's electric win here last year? They're back to defend their title—and we always appreciate when champions return. It adds to the drama, doesn't it? Expect a lighter, more festive vibe this week—a welcome breather from the grind of back-to-back 72-hole tournaments. Over on the HotelPlanner Tour (formerly the Challenge Tour), players are catching their breath after two weeks in the UAE. Italy's Renato Paratore, a former Dubai resident, made the most of it, claiming back-to-back wins and surging to second in the Road to Mallorca rankings. A well-earned break awaits. In the women's game, it's a big one—the first major of the season. The Chevron Championship takes place in Texas with a whopping $7.9 million purse. It's the beginning of a high-stakes stretch in the LPGA calendar. And finally, in Italy, Pre-Qualifying for the 2025 US Women's Open gets underway at Golf Club Ambrosiano in Milan. These 18-hole qualifiers are always full of drama and emerging stories—definitely worth keeping an eye on. A great week ahead for golf fans. Best of luck to everyone teeing it up around the globe! This Week's Events at a Glance: LIV Golf Friday 25th – Sunday 27th April, 2025 LIV Golf Mexico City Club de Golf Chapultepec, Mexico Purse: $25 million PGA Tour Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025 Zurich Classic of New Orleans TPC Louisiana, Avondale, Louisiana, US Purse: $9.2 million Korn Ferry Tour Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025 Veritez Bank Championship Texas Rangers Golf Club, Arlington, Texas Purse: $1 million DP World Tour Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025 Hainan Classic Blackstone Course, Mission Hills, Hainan Island, China Purse: $2.55 million LPGA Tour Thursday 24th – Sunday 27th April, 2025 The Chevron Championship The Woodlands, Texas, US Purse: $7.9 million Ladies European Tour Sunday 29th April, 2025 US Women's Open – Pre-Qualifier Golf Club Ambrosiano, Milan, Italy
Fox News
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
What's next for LIV Golf? CEO Scott O'Neil says future ‘looks like Formula One of golf'
MIAMI — Not long after Abraham Ancer finished on the 18th green at LIV Golf Adelaide, his captain Sergio Garcia was there for a huge hug. The Fireballs GC won the team event but Ancer's finish — a sequence of bogeys to close the weekend — dropped him to second behind Joaquin Niemann, who took the individual win. It was a welcome-to-team-golf moment for new LIV Golf CEO Scott O'Neil, who joined the league in January. O'Neil said he got the chills. "I was like, what did I walk into? This is a gift," O'Neil told FOX Sports Wednesday ahead of LIV Golf Miami. "You have the greats of the game passing down their love and knowledge — and rooting for these young guys. I was like, 'Okay, team golf. I get it.'" O'Neil took over for former CEO Greg Norman, who remains on LIV Golf's board of directors. O'Neil previously served as CEO and President of Madison Square Garden Sports, overseeing operations for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, and then later took over as CEO of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, where he oversaw the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils. For this weekend, the focus is on Trump National Doral, the host course for LIV Golf Miami. O'Neil will oversee the event, which tees off on Friday and concludes Sunday — airing on FOX Sports. But it will also feature a Sublime concert, a Jacob Fellander art exhibit and "The Duels," a showdown match pairing the league's stars with golf influencers. When it comes to the future of LIV Golf, O'Neil is intent on creating a product that looks like what he saw in Adelaide — not just in terms of the special moment between a superstar and a budding youngster, but also in recreating the energy and electricity that the Australian event brought. "I know what the future looks like [for LIV]," he said. "It looks like Adelaide in 14 markets. And, to me, it looks like our players are welcome, and there's more outlets for them in the majors. I feel like it looks like Formula One of golf, and I feel the team concept will get traction. … We're three years old. Think about that. Having worked at the NBA and NFL and NHL, what do you think the NBA looked like at Year 3? And then you look at us, you're like, 'What we've done is impossible.'" What is LIV Adelaide like? It's an electric and raucous party atmosphere where the focus is on the golf — but the league also offers a festival-type experience with music and events. The athletes love it. Jon Rahm has referenced it as the most fun event on the LIV calendar. Will LIV expand to new courses? Will they bring in new stars? Will they add new teams? "Yes, to any and all of those, so long as they're good for growing the game of golf," O'Neil said. "So if more teams do that, or some new players do that, yeah, we'll look at all of those things going forward." O'Neil said that LIV has already reached 800 million homes this year — up 300 million over a year — thanks in part to broadcast relationships with FOX Sports, ITV and DAZN. O'Neil also said 30 percent of LIV event attendees are attending their first golf event. And 40 percent of the league's event attendees are women. The average age of attendees is 15 years younger than an average golf event. In short, their demographic is different than the average golf fan. "I want to be ambitious, and I want big eyes, and I want a big vision," O'Neil said. "And all that we have here. I walked into it. I inherited. It is amazing. But I also want to be patient and I want to be grounded in realism, and I want to enjoy this in the moment — like actually enjoy where we are with these stars and these young talent and these incredible courses and traveling around the world. … [The golfers] are wonderful ambassadors of the game and I think that really bodes well for where we're heading." O'Neil didn't lose sight of the golfers he has in the current stable. And he wants to make sure the world gets to know his players better. The league will always be about the major winners and big stars. O'Neil appreciated the way that Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith and Dustin Johnson. But it's about building up the up-and-coming youngsters or out-of-nowhere veterans: Sam Munoz, Dean Burmester, David Puig and Tom McKibbin. "There's some amazing stories and, quite frankly, I want some of them told," O'Neil said. "Ratings will be driven by stars, and sponsorship dollars will be driven by the stars. And, and these teams will be driven by the stars. I know that. But, man, the depth of this field is real." O'Neil himself isn't a lifer when it comes to golf. He has only just come to play the game and he's working hard at it — hitting the range on Wednesday after his meetings. And he kept saying that it has been "humbling" to pick up a club, particularly as he gets out more with some of the stars on the tour. Both Garcia and Mickelson have coached — or at least given tips — to O'Neil during their rounds together. Garcia? He's the best coach of the group. But… "Not very nice," O'Neil said with a laugh. And Mickelson — well, he's not always a sweetie either. "My favorite moment was with Phil and I hit a good shot. And he looked at me and said, 'Hmm, I didn't see that one coming.' I have laughed more than I've cried out there," O'Neil said. "[The swing] — it takes time." When it comes to building the LIV brand, O'Neil seems to be building with that same balance of patience and determination that he has with his swing. Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL and LIV Golf reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
