Iowa

Jose Luis Ballester fends off Iowa’s Noah Kent in U.S. Amateur final

Published

5 months ago

August 18, 2024

Jose Luis Ballester fends off Iowa’s Noah Kent in U.S. Amateur final

CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Jose Luis Ballester, a senior-to-be at Arizona State, became the first player from Spain to win the U.S. Amateur, fending off Iowa sophomore Noah Kent 2 up Sunday at Hazeltine in the 36-hole match on his 21st birthday.

Ballester, who was the only player in the top 10 of the world amateur ranking to reach the round of 16, took the lead on the second hole and never trailed. He joined Jon Rahm as the only players from Spain to win a USGA tournament. Rahm, who also played for the Sun Devils, won the U.S. Open in 2021.

“We have many great Spaniards, many great legends,” Ballester said. “Being able to add my name into that history is pretty sweet.”

Both finalists gained exemptions for the Masters and the U.S. Open next year, and Ballester also got a spot in the British Open.

Ballester trailed at some point in his last three matches before taking control in the grueling final. Wearing a red polo, yellow shorts on loan from Spaniard he beat in the semifinals, Luis Masaveu, and black socks to match his country’s colors, Ballester went 3 up after four holes on two early birdies. He had a 4-up lead at the lunch break on a vintage 82-degree day with a slight late-summer breeze.

Kent, who entered the week as a long shot at No. 560 in the world amateur ranking, refused to fade on the exhausting final day.

“You don’t want to be 4 down going into an 18-hole match, but it’s been done before, and I kept telling myself that. Everybody in my corner kept telling myself that,” Kent said. “I fought like crazy out there.”

He hit a long putt for eagle on No. 25 — the seventh hole on the course — to move within two. Then after falling behind by four with seven holes to go, the player from Naples, Fla., snapped back to win Nos. 31, 32 and 34 and pull within one.

On the 34th hole, Hazeltine’s signature lakeside No. 16, Ballester hit into the thick rough off the tee and, after clipping a tree, landed in worse shape in the reeds. He wound up with a bogey.

But with his lead down to one, Ballester got back on track to par the final two holes. He nailed the shot off the No. 17 tee within striking range on the green.

“I was juiced. I could feel the adrenaline in my veins, in my forearms,” Ballester said.

Kent hit into the bunker off the No. 18 tee, then the rough. His last-chance chip overshot the hole. Once the victory was secured, Ballester began to cry as he thought of friends and family in Spain, including his grandmother who’s been ill this summer.

“It was a hard summer back in Spain, so I feel like all those emotions kind of came out,” Ballester said.

Wearing a white polo with a Hawkeyes logo, Kent was attempting to become first Iowa player to win the event. The 19-year-old had the clear edge in fan support with dozens in gold Caitlin Clark shirts cheering from the gallery.

“I knew it was going to be like that from yesterday. I kind of liked it a little bit,” Ballester said. “When the other guy is feeling it and he’s kind of grabbing that momentum and you see all the supporters that are going for him, it can be a little depressing. So it’s important to face it with a nice mindset.”

Kent hadn’t trailed since the 12th hole of his second round match until Ballester took the early lead. Kent beat 17th-ranked amateur and Big Ten rival Jackson Buchanan of Illinois in their 18-hole semifinal match.

Ballester, who won the European Amateur last year, took a congratulatory call from fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia after his semifinal win. He shined with the short game all week.

“I think it’s in the blood,” Ballester said. “It has to be.”

Hazeltine, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones and opened in 1962 in what was then mostly farmland and now a suburb filled with lakes and cul-de-sacs about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis, last hosted the men’s amateur in 2006. Since then, the course has seen the PGA Championship (2009), the Ryder Cup (2016) and the Women’s PGA Championship (2019). The Ryder Cup is due back in 2029.

The event began Monday with 312 players over two courses, the 130th edition of the tournament that has helped launch many greats of golf into a decorated career on the pro tour.

Jones, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are among the dozens of notable names who won the U.S. Amateur. Jones won the event a record five times. Woods won three. The last European to win the U.S. Amateur was Viktor Hovland of Norway in 2018 at Pebble Beach.

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Iowa

Why is Iowa’s governor having dinner with Donald Trump at Mara-a-Lago?

Published

3 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Why is Iowa’s governor having dinner with Donald Trump at Mara-a-Lago?

DES MOINES, Iowa (Gray Media Iowa State Capitol Bureau) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds returns to Mara-a-Lago for the second time in two months. Reynolds will have dinner Thursday night with President-elect Donald Trump and several other Republican governors at his Florida Resort.

One of those dinner guests with be the former presidential candidate that Reynolds endorsed before the Iowa Caucuses instead of Trump, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, as first reported by Politico.

Governors could be a necessary ally for Trump if he moves forward with plans for mass deportations of people living in the United States without legal status.

Reynolds announced her visit to Florida late Thursday morning before she flew to meet with the returning president.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced that she will join President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida resort.(Kim Reynolds post on X/Twitter)

This will be Reynolds’ second trip in two months to visit Trump’s resort near Palm Beach. She and Iowa’s U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, her fellow Republican, attended Trump’s victory party on election night.

Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst attended Donald Trump's victory party at... — Governor Kim Reynolds and Senator Joni Ernst attended Donald Trump’s victory party at Mar-a-Lago on election night.(Kim Reynolds post on X/Twitter)

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Matt Campbell on Bears’ radar. What to know about the ISU coach, his contract extension

Published

11 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Matt Campbell on Bears’ radar. What to know about the ISU coach, his contract extension

The Cyclones’ head coach football Matt Campbell is expected to take an interview with the Chicago Bears nearly a month after agreeing to a contract extension with Iowa State University.

Both The Athletic and the Chicago Tribune reported that Campbell is among various coaches in talks for the vacant position. The Bears look to interview Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks, former Stanford coach David Shaw and more, according to ESPN.

Who is Matt Campbell?

Campbell has served as Iowa State’s head football coach since the 2016 season. Before coming to Ames, Campbell served as the head coach of Toledo Rockets in Ohio. He is the third-longest tenured coach in Iowa State’s history.

Iowa State saw a historic season in 2024, making it to the team’s seventh bowl game since Campbell became head coach. The Cyclones finished 11-3, the program’s first season with double-digit victories.

When did Matt Campbell sign a contract extension with Iowa State?

Campbell signed a contract extension with the Cyclones through 2032 in December.

“Coach Campbell has built a special football program at Iowa State; one that all Cyclone fans can take great pride in,” university president Wendy Wintersteen said in a statement. “His continued commitment to both academic and athletic excellence, combined with his strong character and integrity, make him the ideal individual to lead Iowa State’s football program. He is very deserving of this new contract.”

What’s Matt Campbell’s record at Iowa State?

Campbell has a 64-51 record and is the all-time coaching wins leader at Iowa State.

He is 99-66 in 14 years as a FBS head coach.

Where is Matt Campbell from?

Campbell was born in Massillon, Ohio, according to ESPN. He graduated from Mount Union in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in history. Campbell and his wife, Erica, have four children, according to Iowa State.

Has Matt Campbell interviewed for the NFL before?

Reports from 2021 said that Campbell turned down an 8-year, $68.5 million deal to become the Detroit Lions’ head coach. That job ultimately went to Dan Campbell, who has turned the team into the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in franchise history.

Back in 2019 six NFL teams reached out to Campbell, a source told the Register. It’s not clear if he actually accepted any interviews.

Kate Kealey is a general assignment reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at kkealey@registermedia.com or follow her on Twitter at @Kkealey17.

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Big 12 basketball power rankings: Streaking Iowa State, Houston, Arizona lead the way

Published

19 hours ago

January 9, 2025

Press Room

Big 12 basketball power rankings: Streaking Iowa State, Houston, Arizona lead the way

Three Big 12 Conference basketball teams have each won its first three games in the league thus far.

Not coincidentally, all three are riding lengthy winning streaks, with one of those squads drastically turning its season around after a shaky start.

Here, now, are the updated Big 12 basketball power rankings, with games through Jan. 8:

Cyclones are definitely rolling, having won 10 straight ballgames. That was punctuated by back-to-back blowout wins at Hilton Coliseum against Baylor and Utah, the latter on Tuesday.

Next Up: At Texas Tech, Saturday; Vs. Kansas, Wednesday.

The Cougars are also coming off decisive back-to-back wins at the Fertitta Center, having now won seven straight. While they left no doubt last Saturday in a 31-point win against BYU, the Cougars had to shake off a pesky TCU squad in the second half to eventually prevail by 19.

Next Up: At Kansas State, Saturday; Vs. West Virginia, Wednesday.

What a difference conference play has made for the Wildcats, whose postseason outlook appears much brighter. Especially after going on the road and disposing of two solid squads in Cincinnati and West Virginia, as Arizona currently rides a five-game win streak.

Next Up: Vs. UCF, Saturday; Vs. Baylor, Tuesday.

The Jayhawks avoided what would have been an unfathomable 0-2 start in conference play at Allen Fieldhouse, pulling away in the second half Wednesday to defeat Arizona State. Kansas trailed by six at the break before holding the Sun Devils to just 13 second-half points.

Next Up: At Cincinnati, Saturday; At Iowa State, Wednesday.

Definitely a huge win by the Red Raiders on Tuesday, following up a rout at Utah with a hard-fought 72-67 win at BYU. Elijah Hawkins, Darrion Williams and Chance McMillian combined to go 19-of-32 from the field and 10-of-19 from 3-point range.

Next Up: Vs. Iowa State, Saturday; At Kansas State, Tuesday.

A tenacious win for the Knights on Wednesday, rallying from a 74-71 deficit in the final three minutes against Colorado. UCF held the Buffaloes scoreless in that span while ending the game with a 4-0 run, all on free throws – the latter from Deebo Coleman with 35 seconds left for a 75-74 victory.

Next Up: At Arizona, Saturday; At Arizona State, Tuesday.

A nice bounce-back win by the Bears on Tuesday after being blown out over the weekend at Iowa State. Baylor manhandled Cincinnati, 68-48, holding the Bearcats to nearly identical shooting percentages from field goal (34.7 percent) and 3-point range (34.8).

Next Up: At Arizona State, Saturday; At Arizona, Tuesday.

The Mountaineers couldn’t sustain the momentum of an early fast start in the conference, falling at home on Tuesday to Arizona. They’ll try to bounce back with a weekend visit to the Rockies.

Next Up: At Colorado, Sunday; At Houston, Wednesday.

Lingering memories of a blowout loss at Houston last weekend carried over into a home game Tuesday, as the Cougars fell short to Texas Tech. It may still be too early for a must-win, but a road win this weekend at TCU can definitely help get BYU back on track.

Next Up: At TCU, Saturday; Vs. Oklahoma State, Tuesday.

A tale of two halves for the Sun Devils Wednesday night in Kansas. In the first half, Arizona State more than held its own. But after halftime, the Sun Devils made only five field goals, and were 1-of-11 from beyond the arc.

Next Up: Vs. Baylor, Saturday; Vs. UCF, Tuesday.

Horned Frogs overcame a slow start and hung tough with Houston early in the second half. But the Cougars’ powerful defense and their ability to make key shots proved to be too much. TCU returns home this weekend for an interesting test against BYU.

Next Up: Vs. BYU, Saturday; Vs. Utah, Wednesday.

Bearcats going through a tough stretch. The good news is they’re back at home this weekend. The bad news is they’re facing Kansas. Can Cincy rise to the occasion?

Next Up: Vs. Kansas, Saturday; At Colorado, Wednesday.

A solid win for the Cowboys on Tuesday as they rolled past Kansas State, building a 19-point lead at the break. Also a big night for Abou Ousmane, who led the way with 27 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field. He also went a perfect 4-of-4 from the line.

Next Up: At Utah, Saturday; At BYU, Tuesday.

The Wildcats actually shot 51 percent from the field and 75 percent from the line in Tuesday’s loss at Oklahoma State. But they turned the ball over 19 times, and the Cowboys scored 31 points off those turnovers. OSU also had 31 points from players off the bench compared to just 14 for the Wildcats.

Next Up: Vs. Houston, Saturday; Vs. Texas Tech, Tuesday.

The Buffaloes let one slip away on Wednesday, dropping a narrow one-point game on the road at UCF. They’ll be thinking about that for three straight days before finally getting a chance to get it out of their system.

Next Up: Vs. West Virginia, Sunday; Vs. Cincinnati, Wednesday.

A bright spot for the Utes in their loss to Iowa State on Tuesday was Gabe Madsen scoring 20 points. He also made four 3-pointers while recording four assists and two steals.

Next Up: Vs. Oklahoma State, Saturday; At TCU, Wednesday.

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