Spanish Josele Ballester, reigning U.S. Amateur champion, has signed with LIV Golf and will make his professional debut this Friday at LIV Golf Virginia. The 21-year-old will join the Fireballs GC team, led by Sergio García, in the tournament to be held at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. His signing has been considered one of the most notable of the season for the league. This is yet another example of how the paradigm in sports, particularly in golf, is shifting.

“First, I want to thank my family, coaches, friends, and Arizona State University for supporting me and believing in me to reach this point in my career. I am very excited about the opportunity to join Fireballs GC and continue learning from Sergio and other great figures,” Ballester said in a statement.

The list Josele Ballester joins

Ballester joins a list of former Sun Devils players who have competed in LIV Golf, such as Jon Rahm, Phil Mickelson, Paul Casey, and Matt Jones. Additionally, he will team up with David Puig, another former Arizona State player, who also transitioned to LIV Golf after an outstanding amateur career.

Ballester has already competed in three PGA Tour events this season, with a highlight being a T-17 finish at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld. He also participated in the WM Phoenix Open and the Masters, though he failed to make the cut in those events. At the Masters, he made headlines for an incident on the 13th hole, but it did not affect his transition to professional golf.

An important milestone for Ballester will be the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he will compete thanks to the exemption earned by winning the U.S. Amateur. However, this week marks his professional debut in LIV Golf, a significant step in his promising career.