How to watch Noah Kent vs. Jose Luis Ballester

It's Noah Kent vs. Jose Luis Ballester. On Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club, it will be the rising sophomore from Iowa (Kent) against the rising senior from Arizona State (Ballester) who will face off in the US Amateur final with the Havemeyer Trophy on the line and a chance to win the most prestigious title. . in beginner golf.

In Saturday's semi-finals, Kent beat Jackson Buchanan 2-2, while Ballester topped fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu 3-2. With the win, both Kent and Ballester will earn an invitation to next year's US Open at Oakmont and, perhaps more importantly, an invitation. at the 2025 Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.

“It means the world,” Kent said. “I've had a few friends play in the majors, and to see my name and be at Augusta in April and be at Oakmont, you can't even put it into words.”

But there is still one game left to win.

The US Amateur final is 36 holes of play, with the opening 18 starting at 8:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. After a short lunch break, the final 18 begins at approximately 1:15 pm ET. The Golf Channel will broadcast the final round from 2-5 pm ET on Sunday.

Kent, ranked 560th in the world, is a 19-year-old native of Naples, Fla. He was playing well last year and qualified for the US Junior Amateur before a wrist injury kept him out. Now he's gaining confidence and is just one win away from the US Am title.

“Tomorrow is a bit of a marathon, 36 holes,” Kent said. “You really can't think about it too deeply. You don't want to put pressure on yourself because that's when you play poorly. You have to play the ball free on every golf course.”

He will face Ballester, a 20-year-old novice ranked 10th who is the son of two Olympians.

“I took it off again today,” said Ballester. “I missed a lot of putts on the front 9, but I continued to trust my swing. And yes, I made a few bad putts on the back nine and hit some great shots on 14, 15, 16 to close out the match. So again, I was calm the whole way, I felt very confident in my swing, and that made it easier.”

Six days down, one game to go.

Josh Behow

Golf.com Editor

As managing editor of GOLF.com, Berhow manages the day-to-day and long-term programming of one of the most widely read news and service websites in the sport. He spends most of his days writing, planning, organizing and wondering if he will ever break 80. Before joining GOLF.com in 2015, he worked at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and two children. You can reach him at [email protected].