Jose Luis Ballester has closed-out a wire-to-wire European Amateur Championship victory on a windy final day in Estonia to earn an invitation to The 151st Open.
The Spaniard, who carded a 62 (-10) in Round 1, looked like the player to beat all week.
Starting the final round with a two-stroke lead, the 19-year-old signed for a final round 73 (+1) in strong winds to finish with a total score of -21 and win by two strokes.
The final day got off to a perfect start for Ballester. The Spaniard made eagle down the short par-5 first, and with a slow start from his playing partners, Michael Mjaaseth (NOR) and Jack Ingham (NED), he quickly opened up a four-shot lead.
Ballester continued to hit fairways and greens over the next few holes, and without anyone mounting a challenge in the windy conditions, it looked like he might runaway with the lead. However a poor chip and a three-putt on the par-4 6th lead to a shock double-bogey which quickly shook up the leaderboard.
Ballester's Arizona State teammate, Mjaaseth, birdied the 5th and 7th to tie with the Spaniard. Another birdie on the 8th then put him into the outright lead, although it would be his last red number of the day.
Four dropped shots in the next three holes seemed to shake the Norwegian, who would make two more double-bogey on the back-nine to finish with a 77 (+5) and outside the top-10.
A bogey on the 10th for Ballester allowed a number of players right back into the mix. England's Jack Bigham briefly held the lead on -21, as did Mads Laage (DEN), but they both dropped shots in the challenging, cross-wind, closing stretch.
Ballester came to life in the last six holes. A birdie on the 13th and a near-ace with a 5-iron from 144 metres straight into the wind, opened up a four-shot advantage with four holes to play.
Despite a dropped shot on the 15th, excellent par-saves after missing the 16th and 17th greens meant the Spaniard would play the 18th with a three-shot lead. A bogey down the last would be enough to secure a two-shot victory and the 2023 European Amateur title.
"I don't even know how I feel right now, honestly" said Ballester after holing the winning putt. "I still have to take some time to process what all this week has been but I'm just super happy"
"I woke up this morning, looked through the window and the trees were blowing everywhere and I was like wow this is gonna be a grind today"
"I was striking it really good, it was super tough to make putts with the wind but I managed my game and I did it."
The EGA gold medal will be the second earned by Ballester, who secured the winning point for Spain in the 2022 European Amateur Team Championship at Royal St. George's. He also ends a 28-year wait for a Spanish winner in the event, becoming the first Spaniard to claim the European Amateur title since Sergio Garcia in 1995.
The victory earns the Spaniard a spot in The 151st Open at Royal Liverpool in three week's time.
"It's actually going to be my first big professional event." Said Ballester about competing in The Open. "This is going to be on the biggest stage with all the tour guys, the best players in the world. I can't wait to be around them and learn more about this game."
Tied for the lead at the halfway stage, Wales' James Ashfield earned the bronze medal on a score of -19 with a final round 71 (-1). Denmark's Mads Laage will take home the silver medal with the same score, although a better last-36 holes puts him ahead of Ashfield.
