Noah Kent and Jose Luis Ballester take care of business, will meet in U.S. Amateur finals Sunday

Friends, family and fans from south of the border wore black and gold and mobbed Saturday’s star with chants and cheers at the 124th U.S. Amateur semifinals.

That’s where formerly long-shot Iowa Hawkeyes golfer Noah Kent advanced to Sunday’s 36-hole final against Spain’s Jose Luis Ballester at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Caitlin who? Is there a new sensation in town?

“Might be,” Kent said with a smile. “Got a couple of records to break first, though.”

Kent arrived on site Monday ranked the 560th amateur in the world. On Saturday, he sent home 17th-ranked amateur and Big Ten rival Jackson Buchanan with his fifth consecutive match-play victory this week. He won 2-up in a match rare for him that went all the way to the 18th hole before Buchanan made one mistake too many.

With Kent 1-up at No. 15, he made a birdie putt on top of one Buchanan just had made. “I wasn’t really surprised,” Kent said. “You have to expect all the players to pull off all the shots.”

Ballester, meanwhile, beat friend and fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu, the world’s 23rd-ranked amateur, 3-and-2 in the other semifinal.

By winning Saturday, both Kent and Ballester get exemptions to next year’s U.S. Open and likely the Masters as well. Sunday’s winner gets a ticket to next year’s British Open.

“I started crying before the interview,” Kent told reporters afterward. “It means the world. I’ve had a couple buddies play in majors and to see my name and be in Augusta in April and at Oakmont, you can’t really even put it into words.”

A senior forthcoming at Arizona State, Ballester is the first Spaniard to make a U.S. Amateur final. Jon Rahm, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal didn’t do it. Garcia reached the 1998 semifinal before he lost to Tom McKnight.

Ballester said Garcia messaged him in the first minutes after he won Saturday to congratulate him.

“I think I’m still not conscious what just happened,” Ballester said. “It’s still an unbelievable feeling. Super grateful for the opportunity to compete in the U.S. Amateur championship. Just grateful I’m living this moment.”

Ballester beat a countryman, a Spain national teammate and a friend. He did so after he trailed by a hole through the first seven, then won the eighth, ninth, 13th and 14th to reach an insurmountable three-up lead.

“It honestly made it a little bit easier,” Ballester said about facing someone so familiar. “I felt I was more nervous yesterday and the previous day than what I was today. Even with all the people in the crowd, I was super calm all the way. I think that’s because I had a great buddy next to me.”

Masaveu blamed a bad swing on No. 8 for turning the match.

“Golf sometimes is just momentum, you don’t know why,” Maseveu said. “I’m very happy for him. He deserves it. He handled it better with the pressure. I think he’s going to win tomorrow.”

Buchanan is headed directly after Saturday’s loss from Chaska to Champaign, Ill., where classes at the University of Illinois begin next week. He reached the semifinal after beating Preston Summerhays, world No. 1 amateur Luke Clayton and 16-year-old Tyler Mawhinney with a resilience and ability to come back that escaped him Saturday.

“Just sad to be honest,” Buchanan said. “I didn’t bring it today. You can’t expect to win if you don’t bring it. I don’t deserve to win and he did his job.”

Kent’s presence gives him the home-course advantage, even if only his coaches, friends and family recognize him. He was stopped by a security guard trying to enter the clubhouse and was admitted when another guard said, “No, he’s a player.”

In the next moment, he was asked by a Hazeltine staffer what he wanted for breakfast and lunch Sunday. He chose eggs over easy and bacon, then grilled chicken and broccoli for lunch.

After the match, somebody told Ballester his opponent will have the state of Iowa behind on Sunday, or at least as many who traveled north to Minnesota.

“I have a couple of friends, really, really close friends,” Ballester said. “So that’s enough for me and all the guys back home are rooting for me.”