Josele Ballester (+12) missed the cut at the US Open after carding another 76. Just like Thursday. Same score, but different feelings. He played better today. He just needed to sink a few putts that could have propelled him to even fight for the cut. He only made one birdie, but had more or less feasible opportunities on holes 1 and 6, especially these, and also on 10, 13 or 17. If any of those had gone in, life would have looked different.
Josele leaves the US Open with mixed feelings. First, disappointed because his expectations are always high and he leaves his third Major without the chance to play the weekend. Three out of three. A lot of punishment. At the same time, he’s frustrated with himself. It hurts him not to have been able to bring out his best golf in these important events, especially in the Masters and this year’s US Open. It hurts and annoys him, he doesn’t hide that he’s upset, but at the same time, it fuels him. “It encourages me that I’ve missed the cut, but I was far from my best level. I know I can do much better,” he assures. If he had played his most powerful golf and was five shots off the cut, then it would be time to get nervous.
He leaves Oakmont with two very clear ideas. The first is that he needs to improve his driving to be truly competitive in the most demanding settings. It’s too inconsistent. Today, for example, he almost always missed to the right. He was rarely on the fairway, and it’s very difficult to compete in a US Open like that. He knows he needs to get to work and he will. Not many people can beat him in desire and work ethic.
The other idea that’s burned into him is that he wants to return to the US Open and he wants to do it soon. He has that thorn in his side. Three Majors and three cuts. “I don’t want to rest now. I want to play as much as I can, learn, improve, take lessons, and keep growing. The transition to professional hasn’t been easy, that’s clear, but I have a lot ahead to learn. If I could play tomorrow, I would. I want to keep growing. I know I have the golf to return here sooner rather than later,” he emphasizes.
The disappointment of the results doesn’t prevent him from seeing the bigger picture. He’s very clear that it’s been a privilege and a magnificent experience to play the three Majors and, moreover, to have had two such good pairings in the Masters and the US Open, first with Scottie Scheffler and then with DeChambeau and Schauffele. “I’m aware that it’s not easy to play with them on such big stages, but I’m grateful and I’ve learned many things.” Of the three Majors, by the way, he prefers the Open and the US Open. It’s where he’s managed to enjoy the most.
His next tournament is the LIV Golf in Dallas. There, he wants to start making his mark. To do this, he’s going to work tirelessly in the coming days, especially with the aim of straightening out his game from the tee. He exudes enthusiasm and conviction, and those are not things you can learn from a manual. They come naturally and are worth gold.
