Josele Ballester bids farewell to his last college tournament in the United States. Arizona State has fallen in the quarter-finals of the Nationals and bows out early in the Match Play phase.
The ‘Sun Devil’ lost by a very narrow 3-2 against Ole Miss in which Josele was unable to contribute to his team and fell 2&1 in the opening match of the tie. Arizona was one of the main contenders for the title after finishing in first place in the stroke play phase. The defeat was sealed on the third playoff hole of the fifth and decisive match.
At the start of the tie, the player from Castellón faced Kye Meeks and the reality is that the Spaniard was only ahead on the opening hole thanks to a birdie on the 10th hole at Omni La Costa. He would not lead again throughout the contest and ended up succumbing on the 17th hole by 2&1.
Minutes earlier, Michael La Sasso (Ole Miss), the NCAA individual champion, had crushed Preston Summerhays in what was the fifth match, but finished first with a clear 6&5. Pongsapak Laopakdee won for Arizona State by 4&3 against Cameron Tankersley and Connor Williams defeated Cohen Trolio by 3&2.
It was all tied at two and in the hands of Michael Mjaaseth (Arizona State) and Tom Fischer (Ole Miss). The Arizona State player was leading by three holes with five holes to go, but an impressive comeback by Fischer took the match and the tie to a playoff. On the third playoff hole, the Ole Miss player won the contest and the pass to the semi-finals.
This defeat marks the end of the college era for the US Amateur champion who, thanks to his fourth place in the stroke play phase, has finished the season in third place in the PGA Tour University. A sad farewell to a golden era for the Spaniard.
