Learn how to watch Noah Kent vs. Jose Luis Ballester

It’s Noah Kent versus Jose Luis Ballester. On Sunday at Hazeltine Nationwide Golf Membership, it is going to be the rising Iowa sophomore (Kent) versus the rising Arizona State senior (Ballester) dealing with off within the U.S. Novice last with the Havemeyer Trophy on the road and an opportunity to assert essentially the most prestigious title in novice golf.

In Saturday’s semifinals, Kent beat Jackson Buchanan 2 up, whereas Ballester topped fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu 3 and a couple of. With the win, each Kent and Ballester will obtain an invitation to subsequent yr’s U.S. Open at Oakmont and, maybe extra importantly, a possible invitation to the 2025 Masters at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.

“It means the world,” Kent stated. “I’ve had a few buddies play in majors, and to see my identify and be in Augusta in April and be at Oakmont, you may’t actually even put it into phrases.”

However there’s nonetheless yet another match left to win.

The U.S. Novice last is 36 holes of match play, with the opening 18 starting at 8:15 a.m. ET on Sunday. After a quick lunch break, the ultimate 18 begins round 1:15 p.m ET. Golf Channel will broadcast the ultimate spherical from 2-5 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Kent, ranked 560th on the earth, is a 19-year-old Naples, Fla., native. He was taking part in nicely final yr and certified for the U.S. Junior Novice earlier than a wrist damage prompted him to overlook it. Now he’s gaining confidence and only one win away from a U.S. Am title.

“Tomorrow is a little bit bit extra of a marathon, 36 holes,” Kent stated. “You may’t actually give it some thought too deeply. You don’t wish to put an excessive amount of stress on your self as a result of that’s once you play badly. You form of acquired to free ball the entire golf course.”

He’ll face Ballester, the 20-year-old Tenth-ranked novice who’s the son of two Olympians.

“I once more striped it at this time,” Ballester stated. “Missed a bunch of putts on the entrance 9, however once more I stored trusting on my swing. And yeah, I made a few fallacious putts on the again 9 and hit actually good tee photographs on 14, 15, 16 to form of shut the match. So once more, I used to be fairly calm all the best way, feeling tremendous assured with my swing, and that made it simpler.”

Six days down, one match to go.

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of many sport’s most-read information and repair web sites. He spends most of his days writing, enhancing, planning and questioning if he’ll ever break 80. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF.com in 2015, he labored at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State College in Mankato, Minn., he resides within the Twin Cities together with his spouse and two children. You may attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.