Jose Luis Ballester, 20, of Spain
WAGR: 10 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship and second USGA championship Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Three top 10 finishes in 2024 Rising senior at Arizona State University, where he earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of two first seasons 2023 European Amateur champion Played in 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool The son of two Olympians, his parents competed in three different Olympic games – his father as a swimmer, his mother as field hockey player, who earned a gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 68 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 47 seed R64: Def. Benjamin James, 2 and 1 R32: Def. Tiger Christensen, 3 and 1 R16: Def. Christian Brand, 2 and 1
IG: @joseleballester
Jackson Buchanan, 22, of Dacula, Ga.
WAGR: 17 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, and third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Played in 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, missing the cut by one stroke Rising senior at University of Illinois 2024 Big Ten Player of the Year, leading the Illini to the NCAA Championships, where they won the stroke-play portion Runner-up at 2024 Big Ten Championship Won the 2024 Duck Invitational As a sophomore, was individual runner-up at 2022 NCAA Championship
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 72 – 69 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed R64: Def. Preston Summerhays, 2 up R32: Def. Luke Clanton, 1 up R16: Def. Tyler Mawhinney, 1 up
IG: @_jacksonbuchanan
Ethan Fang, 19, of Plano, Texas
WAGR: 75 Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 16 in 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes and Round of 64 in 2023 at Daniel Island Club After playing his freshman season at University of California-Berkeley, transferred to Oklahoma State for the 2024-25 season Runner-up at 2024 Pauma Valley Invitational Finished T-3 at 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Golf Championship Recorded top 10s at this year’s John Burns Intercollegiate and Southwestern Invitational
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 78 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 64 seed R64: Def. Jimmy Ellis, 2 up R32: Def. Zach Adams, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Bastien Amat, 2 up
IG: @ethanfang2
Noah Kent, 19, of Naples, Fla.
WAGR: 560 Competing in first USGA championship Rising sophomore at University of Iowa Finished second at the 2024 Porter Cup Recorded a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic Runner-up in 2023 Wester Junior Championship Finished inside top 25 in five of seven fall events His father, David, competed in the 1990 U.S. Junior Amateur His stepdad, Dana Fry, was part of the design team at Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open and 2025 U.S. Women’s Open
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 77 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 41 seed R64: Def. Xihuan Chang, 4 and 2 R32: Def. Tom Fischer, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Garrett Engle, 4 and 2
IG: @noahkent27
Luis Masaveu, 21, of Spain
WAGR: 23 Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship and first USGA championship Made the cut in 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, finishing 78th 2024 Portuguese International Amateur champion Runner-up at 2024 Spanish Amateur Represented Spain in 2022 and 2023 World Amateur Team Championships Runner-up in 2023 Lytham Trophy
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70 – 65 in stroke play to earn the No. 3 seed R64: Def. Gunnar Broin, 3 and 2 R32: Def. Jackson Herrington, 1 up R16: Def. Phichaksn Maichon, 3 and 2
IG: @luismasaveu
Bobby Massa, 36, of Dallas, Texas.
WAGR: 2969 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow Country Club Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills by one stroke Works as a physical trainer at Sanders Fit Performance Center in Dallas Holds the University of Texas at Arlington record for lowest career stroke average, and holds three of the lowest seven scores in school history His father, Joel, was a baseball and golf letterwinner at UT Arlington First mid-amateur since Stewart Hagestad in 2022 to reach final eight in the U.S. Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 67 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 23 seed R64: Def. Luke Sample, 2 and 1 R32: Def. Ratchanon Tk Chantananuwat, 1 up R16: Def. Ashton McCulloch, 24 holes
IG: @bobbymassa3
Jacob Modleski, 19, of Nobelsville, Ind.
WAGR: 84 Rising sophomore at Notre Dame Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Missed cut in 2022 U.S. Junior Championship at Bandon Dunes Earned his first collegiate win at the 2024 Johnnie-O at Sea Island Won the 2024 Jones Cup Invitational Recorded eight top-15 individual finishes this year
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 75 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 20 seed R64: Def. Wells Williams, 4 and 2 R32: Def. Tommy Morrison, 3 and 2 R16: Def. Omar Morales, 2 and 1
IG: @jmods9
Brendan Valdes, 21, of Orlando, Fla.
WAGR: 11 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, fifth USGA championship Qualified for U.S. Opens at Pinehurst and The Los Angeles Country Club Rising senior at Auburn; first-team All-American for 2024 NCAA Champions Member of victorious 2024 U.S. Palmer Cup team 2024 Mossy Oak Collegiate champion Runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Finished third at the 2024 Tiger Invitational Won the Boys’ 14-15 division of 2018 Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70 – 70 in stroke play to earn the No. 27 seed R64: Def. Lars Van Der Vight, 2 up R32: Def. Caleb Shetler, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Peter Fountain, 3 and 2
IG: @brendanmvaldes
WAGR: 10 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship and second USGA championship Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Three top 10 finishes in 2024 Rising senior at Arizona State University, where he earned honorable mention All-America honors in each of two first seasons 2023 European Amateur champion Played in 2023 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool The son of two Olympians, his parents competed in three different Olympic games – his father as a swimmer, his mother as field hockey player, who earned a gold medal in 1992 in Barcelona
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 68 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 47 seed R64: Def. Benjamin James, 2 and 1 R32: Def. Tiger Christensen, 3 and 1 R16: Def. Christian Brand, 2 and 1
IG: @joseleballester
Jackson Buchanan, 22, of Dacula, Ga.
WAGR: 17 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, and third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Played in 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst, missing the cut by one stroke Rising senior at University of Illinois 2024 Big Ten Player of the Year, leading the Illini to the NCAA Championships, where they won the stroke-play portion Runner-up at 2024 Big Ten Championship Won the 2024 Duck Invitational As a sophomore, was individual runner-up at 2022 NCAA Championship
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 72 – 69 in stroke play to earn the No. 53 seed R64: Def. Preston Summerhays, 2 up R32: Def. Luke Clanton, 1 up R16: Def. Tyler Mawhinney, 1 up
IG: @_jacksonbuchanan
Ethan Fang, 19, of Plano, Texas
WAGR: 75 Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 16 in 2022 U.S. Junior Amateur at Bandon Dunes and Round of 64 in 2023 at Daniel Island Club After playing his freshman season at University of California-Berkeley, transferred to Oklahoma State for the 2024-25 season Runner-up at 2024 Pauma Valley Invitational Finished T-3 at 2024 Pac-12 Men’s Golf Championship Recorded top 10s at this year’s John Burns Intercollegiate and Southwestern Invitational
Road to the Quarterfinals:
Shot 78 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 64 seed R64: Def. Jimmy Ellis, 2 up R32: Def. Zach Adams, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Bastien Amat, 2 up
IG: @ethanfang2
Noah Kent, 19, of Naples, Fla.
WAGR: 560 Competing in first USGA championship Rising sophomore at University of Iowa Finished second at the 2024 Porter Cup Recorded a third-place finish at the Puerto Rico Classic Runner-up in 2023 Wester Junior Championship Finished inside top 25 in five of seven fall events His father, David, competed in the 1990 U.S. Junior Amateur His stepdad, Dana Fry, was part of the design team at Erin Hills, site of the 2017 U.S. Open and 2025 U.S. Women’s Open
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 77 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 41 seed R64: Def. Xihuan Chang, 4 and 2 R32: Def. Tom Fischer, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Garrett Engle, 4 and 2
IG: @noahkent27
Luis Masaveu, 21, of Spain
WAGR: 23 Competing in first U.S. Amateur Championship and first USGA championship Made the cut in 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, finishing 78th 2024 Portuguese International Amateur champion Runner-up at 2024 Spanish Amateur Represented Spain in 2022 and 2023 World Amateur Team Championships Runner-up in 2023 Lytham Trophy
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70 – 65 in stroke play to earn the No. 3 seed R64: Def. Gunnar Broin, 3 and 2 R32: Def. Jackson Herrington, 1 up R16: Def. Phichaksn Maichon, 3 and 2
IG: @luismasaveu
Bobby Massa, 36, of Dallas, Texas.
WAGR: 2969 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 U.S. Mid-Amateur at Sleepy Hollow Country Club Missed the cut in the 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills by one stroke Works as a physical trainer at Sanders Fit Performance Center in Dallas Holds the University of Texas at Arlington record for lowest career stroke average, and holds three of the lowest seven scores in school history His father, Joel, was a baseball and golf letterwinner at UT Arlington First mid-amateur since Stewart Hagestad in 2022 to reach final eight in the U.S. Amateur
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 67 – 73 in stroke play to earn the No. 23 seed R64: Def. Luke Sample, 2 and 1 R32: Def. Ratchanon Tk Chantananuwat, 1 up R16: Def. Ashton McCulloch, 24 holes
IG: @bobbymassa3
Jacob Modleski, 19, of Nobelsville, Ind.
WAGR: 84 Rising sophomore at Notre Dame Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, third USGA championship Advanced to Round of 32 in 2023 U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Missed cut in 2022 U.S. Junior Championship at Bandon Dunes Earned his first collegiate win at the 2024 Johnnie-O at Sea Island Won the 2024 Jones Cup Invitational Recorded eight top-15 individual finishes this year
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 75 – 64 in stroke play to earn the No. 20 seed R64: Def. Wells Williams, 4 and 2 R32: Def. Tommy Morrison, 3 and 2 R16: Def. Omar Morales, 2 and 1
IG: @jmods9
Brendan Valdes, 21, of Orlando, Fla.
WAGR: 11 Competing in second U.S. Amateur Championship, fifth USGA championship Qualified for U.S. Opens at Pinehurst and The Los Angeles Country Club Rising senior at Auburn; first-team All-American for 2024 NCAA Champions Member of victorious 2024 U.S. Palmer Cup team 2024 Mossy Oak Collegiate champion Runner-up at the 2024 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional Finished third at the 2024 Tiger Invitational Won the Boys’ 14-15 division of 2018 Drive, Chip & Putt National Championship
Road to the Quarterfinals
Shot 70 – 70 in stroke play to earn the No. 27 seed R64: Def. Lars Van Der Vight, 2 up R32: Def. Caleb Shetler, 2 and 1 R16: Def. Peter Fountain, 3 and 2
IG: @brendanmvaldes
