Josele Ballester secured his first professional victory at the Saudi International, less than eight months after he drew fierce backlash for his behavior at Augusta National
21:12 ET, 22 Nov 2025Updated 21:12 ET, 22 Nov 2025
Josele Ballester drew criticism for his actions at The Masters(Image: Getty Images)
Josele Ballester ended his rollercoaster 2025 campaign on a high note just several months after becoming public enemy No 1 among the golf community.
On Saturday, Ballester notched the first professional win of his budding career by securing a three-shot victory in the PIF Saudi International — the culminating event of the International Series on the Asian Tour. Entering the day behind one shot, the LIV Golf star carded a final round of 65 en route to finishing 22-under 262 and claiming $1 million in prize money.
Though Ballester actively stands as one of the most exciting young talents in golf, many fans remember him most as the player who relieved himself in Rae’s Creek during the opening round of The Masters.
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While playing alongside Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas, Ballester momentarily left the group to sully the water hazard on Augusta National’s 13th hole.
Upon finishing his pee, the former U.S. Amateur champion was greeted with a chorus of cheers and applause from spectators who watched the entire scene unfold.
Speaking to reporters on the heels of the incident, Ballester admitted it slipped his mind that more appropriate bathrooms were accessible on the 13th tee. “I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,” he said at the time.
“And then I’m like, I really need to pee. Didn’t really know where to go, and since JT had an issue on the green, I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much.
Josele Ballester claimed the first win of his professional career on Saturday(Image: Getty Images)
“And then they clapped for me. Probably one of the claps that I really got real loud, so that was kind of funny.”
Not everyone got a kick out of Ballester’s actions, however, with some even calling for him to be disqualified. “I already apologized to the club, and I think we just move on from this moment,” he said one day later.
Addressing the fierce wave of backlash directed his way, Ballester credited members of his inner circle with helping alleviate the stress. “A couple friends reached out just to say, ‘Hey, you’ll be fine. I’m still your friend,’ he said.
“So yeah, it’s good to have those friends that have your back when the news is not that good about you.”
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While Ballester relished the opportunity to play The Masters, he’ll likely be leaving the Saudi International with a far bigger smile on his face.
“Like at the end of the day, being a young boy dreaming about this moment, winning your first professional career, this is why I worked so hard every day,” he said.
“It’s been really cool to finally get this done. It’s going to make me keep working even harder to accomplish all the things I have.”
