Spanish whiz kid takes relief
Ballester not shy on 13th hole pit stop; hats off on deal; Stray Shots
Jose Luis Ballester did not fly under the radar playing with Scottie Scheffler (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)
In a tradition unlike anything that’s ever happened in 89 Masters Tournaments, young Spanish amateur Jose Luis Ballester ran to the left of the 13th fairway to the tributary of Rae’s Creek and urinated into the stream during Thursday’s first round of the Masters.
The reigning U.S. Amateur winner shot a 4-over 76 playing in the same group as defending champion Scottie Scheffler, but the patrons in Amen Corner will long remember him for the applause he received after taking relief in full view, zipping up and proceeding toward the green.
“Well, I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,” Ballester said. “Then I’m like, I really need to pee. Didn’t really know where to go, and since (Justin Thomas) 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, and then they clapped for me.
“Probably one of the claps that I really got today real loud, so that was kind of funny.”
Ballester did face away from the crowds and toward the azaleas that the hole is famous for when he let nature take its course into the stream that runs along the 13th and eventually to Rae’s Creek. He did not seem concerned that the folks at Augusta National who run the Masters would object to his breach in decorum.
“They saw me. They saw me,” Ballester said. “It was not embarrassing at all for me. If I had to do it again, I would do it again.”
Spain has had its share of moments on No. 13 through the years in collecting seven green jackets among four players. It is the hole where Sergio Garcia famously saved a par after hitting across the stream into the azaleas in 2017 and eventually won the green jacket in a playoff over Justin Rose to collect his only major victory.
José María Olazábal sprung his second Masters victory in the final round on 13 in 1999 when he drained a 21-footer for birdie to immediately answer Greg Norman’s eagle putt in front of him retain a share of the lead and blunt Norman’s charge.
Three-time champion Seve Ballesteros had his brother caddying for him in 1983 tend the flag on a 4-foot birdie putt on the 13th.
Now Ballester has added his own memorable moment that is unlikely to be held in as high a regard. Perhaps next time nature calls on the course and he’s forced to take relief, Ballester could step behind the cover of the bushes that are not in short supply.
A comedy of errors
By Alex Miceli
I always wanted to do stand-up comedy. Like winning the lottery, it just never happened.
But driving to the revered cathedral of golf this week, I thought about putting together a script that would cover the complete lunacy of today — not in golf, but in the world.
MGGA — yes, Make Golf Great Again. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan thought it would be a good icebreaker in the Oval Office to have some hats made — red body, white letters and a blue bill. Adjustable, of course, since most of the people in the room have enormous heads.
Monahan had a tour flunky source the hats and get them to him before he got on the plane to Washington D.C. with Adam Scott and Tiger Woods.
Unbeknownst to Monahan, the hats were $50 each. It seems that new tariffs on countries like China, Vietnam and Cambodia — havens for the hat trade — were getting slammed and passing the pricing along to the consumer.
Also, the hats have tags with the country of origin and price.
After going through security, Monahan got to the White House with his team, and Trump was sitting at the Resolute Desk with a wry smile.
Monahan smiled back and shook hands, and then the hats came out.
Trump ran across the tag while putting it on, and the smile turned into a frown.
How could you spend this kind of money on a bleeping hat from bleep-bleep?
It's not the best way to start a meeting you called for, but it gets better.
Just then PIF governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan walked in.