Masters amateur pees in Rae's Creek during opening round
Jose Luis Ballester had a decision to make on the famous risk-reward par-5 13th hole. The Spanish amateur took the risk.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. — The water at Augusta National is unbelievably blue. Or at least it was.
On Thursday at the Masters, Jose Luis Ballester had a decision to make on the famous risk-reward par-5 13th hole. The Spanish amateur took the risk.
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Masters amateur pees in Rae's Creek during opening round Back to video
“I really need to pee. Didn’t really know where to go,” Ballester said after his round.
“Well, I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box .”
He had a choice to make, and he chose perhaps the craziest option.
“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,” he said. “Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny.”
The river was Rae’s Creek, perhaps the most famous waterway in the world of golf. Whether the green jackets in charge of the famed tournament also found it funny is yet to be determined.
Asked if he was concerned that there might be blowback from the club, Ballester doubled down on his decision.
“They saw me. They saw me. It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again,” he said.
The 21-year-old amateur plays college golf at Arizona State and qualified for the Masters by winning the U.S. Amateur at Hazeltine.
It’s been an exciting week for Ballester who already made headlines when arrived to the first tee Thursday to meet playing partners Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas wearing an Arizona State University hat with upside down lettering. The casual look drew the attention of many on social media who thought it wasn’t an appropriate hat for Augusta National.
On Monday, Arizona State golf coach Matt Thurmond went into the practice area to greet Ballester. But the coach was wearing shorts, which is against the rules for players and coaches. Thurmond was promptly escorted off the premises.
“Strolled out onto the Augusta range today with my coach badge,” Thurmond wrote on X. “Got removed for wearing shorts. First bogey of the week. Celebrated with an egg salad sandwich. Pants tomorrow.”
Ballester shot a four-over par 76, but that likely won’t be what people remember him for at his first Masters.
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