Noah Kent, Jose Luis Ballester will face off for the US Amateur title

CHASKA, Minn. — Noah Kent likes the high stakes of the game, and has taken the Iowa sophomore on his way to the US Amateur championship game.

Kent was on the cusp of his semifinal game going all-in when Jackson Buchanan made an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole. Kent gently rolled his putt 15 feet to make birdie and stay 1 up.

Playing the 18th hole at Hazeltine National for the first time in tournament play, he drilled his drive down the middle with Buchanan in trouble and hit a 7-iron to about 6 feet, a putt that was accepted for his 2-up victory.

Next up is Spain’s Jose Luis Ballester, a senior at Arizona State and the No. 10 ranked junior player in the world. He registered a 3-2 win over fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu.

Kent has never trailed since the 12th hole in the second round. When the pressure was too high, he released Buchanan on the crucial 15th hole.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I love it whenever the pressure is on. I’ve been feeling it all week,” Kent said. “It was another out-of-body experience to see it go into the hole, and the pressure stayed with me.”

Ballester took the lead for the first time with a birdie on the ninth hole and pulled through on the back nine when Masaveu made a couple of mistakes.

He becomes the first Spaniard to play in the US Amateur Championship.

“I guess I still don’t know what happened today,” Ballester said. “It’s still an unbelievable feeling. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to compete in the US Amateur Championship. I’m so grateful to be alive this time.”

Both winners are guaranteed big time — earning invitations to the Masters in April and a spot in the US Open at Oakmont. The winner of Sunday’s 36-hole final will enter the British Open at Royal Portrush.

Kent took a good lead by the fifth hole, although the ground was tight. Buchanan, having earlier in the week beaten top-ranked novice Luke Clanton, looked to be going all the way with his birdie on the 5th 15th until Kent matched him.

On the 16th hole, with Lake Hazeltine as a backdrop and a stream running down the left side, Buchanan’s drive went left over the river, but appeared to hit a spectator and roll back into the water. That led to a double bogey, and he was 2 under with two holes to play.

Buchanan birdied the 17th, but his shot found the bottom left of the 18th fairway, and his next shot hit the lip. Kent took it from there.

“It’s sad to be honest. It’s sad, but I didn’t deliver today,” Buchanan said. “I didn’t deliver, and I don’t deserve to win, and he did his job.”

Ballester was 1 up when Masaveu missed the green on the par-3 13th and made bogey. On the approachable par-4 14th, Ballester was just short of the green from the tee. Masaveu went well, went through the green and missed the up-swing, losing the hole with a bogey.

They split the par-5 15th with pars, and Ballester bogeyed him on the 16th.

“Jose played well. He played hard, there were no fouls,” Masaveu said. “To get to the US Amateur finals, you have to do a little bit more.”