Josele Ballester will not forget this masters, and not only because at 21 he will debut in Augusta after being champion of the US Open Amateur, he will train with Olazabal, García and Rahm and play the first two rounds. The Spanish rookie starred on Thursday a controversial episode: in Hole 13 he felt desire to urinate and instead of going to a close bathroom he made his hidden needs among shrubs and in the famous stream of Rae’s Creek. Part of the public applauded him when he returned to the game and Josele admitted after the round the mischief: “He would do it again.”
However, what seemed like an anecdote ended up becoming an episode with a lot of impact, which made him feel bad and for which he ended up apologizing to the aim to Augusta National. “I have apologized, I was wrong. I was not aware of the place I was in. I have learned the lesson and that will make me better person. I really feel it,” said Ballester this Friday
The young Spanish came “nervous” to the field before the start of the round throughout the stir formed around his action. He reassured him on the Scheffler practices court. “He has been 10. I have arrived nervously and I didn’t know how they were going to receive me. He told me not to worry. It has made me feel much better,” said Josele.
“I can’t believe it,” he said hours before Olazabal upon learning of what happened. “If you have the bathroom next to it … it is an anecdote as a rookie. Next year I tell you where the bathrooms are. I don’t think the masters caught your attention for that,” added the Basque. Jon Rahm pointed out: “It’s funny. If you have to go, you have to go, it doesn’t seem bad. The next time you know where the bathroom is, or you will learn to get into a corner.”
Thus, Ballester closed this marters that is already part of his career and that is included in the last months of his trajectory as Amateur. Soon it will make the leap to professional.
