Jose Luis Ballester, a 21-year-old Spaniard, was making his major debut at golf’s most prestigious Masters Tournament on Thursday. The Arizona State University golfer was paired with renowned players Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas during the opening round at Augusta National Golf Club. It was his debut performance that turned out to be the most memorable, though not for what he did on the course.
Ballester sported a cap from Arizona State, whose promo on the front – “Sun Devils” – was upside down. This decision triggered a firestorm of responses on social media. Fans lampooned his selection of headwear as deeply disrespectful to such a hallowed occasion. Despite this, Ballester remained focused on the game, attempting to stay loose by listening to music and warming up before his round.
Sadly, things didn’t unfold as hoped for on the picturesque day ahead. He limped home with a 76, four over par. His round featured a tough opening nine where he made one birdie, two bogeys and a triple bogey. Perhaps most damaging were back-to-back disasters on the fifth hole, where he made a double-bogey 7. Looking back on his round, Ballester said he was bummed about his start and said he made a couple of bad moves.
As afternoon gave way to evening, a strange scene developed on the 13th hole. For one, Ballester really had to go to the bathroom. He had simply lost sight of where restrooms were just off the tee box on 10. He opted for a radical fix, an out-of-the-box solution. He ran all the way down to Rae’s Creek’s tributary to take a piss while Thomas was still on the 12th green.
“I’m like, I really need to pee,” – Jose Luis Ballester
Ballester would later describe that experience, and justify his decision to land on the riverbank. “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,” he said. Even with upset fans and critics waiting to pounce on the fallout, he took it all in stride during the whole ordeal.
“It was not embarrassing at all for me,” – Jose Luis Ballester
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