CHASKA, Minn. (AP) — Noah Kent holed a crucial 18-foot putt on the 15th hole to match birdies and stay 1 up, and the Iowa sophomore held on to beat Jackson Buchanan 2 up on Saturday to reach the championship match of the U.S. Amateur.
Jose Luis Ballester of Spain won his semifinal match against fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu, taking the lead for the first time with a birdie on the ninth hole and pulling away on the middle of the back nine at Hazeltine National.
Kent and Ballester will meet in a 36-hole title match on Sunday. Both already are assured of playing in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Oakmont next year. The winner also gets a spot in the British Open at Royal Portrush.
Kent has not trailed in any match since the 12th hole of the second round. He took the lead for good on the fifth hole, though it was tight down the stretch. Buchanan, who earlier in the week had beaten top-ranked amateur Luke Clanton, holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th that looked like it might allow him to square the match.
Kent calmly rolled in his 15-foot birdie on top of him. On the next hole, Buchanan’s drive went left over the creek, but it appeared to hit a spectator and roll back into the water. That led to double bogey, and he was 2 down with two holes to play.
Buchanan won the 17th with a birdie, but his tee shot found a bunker left of the 18th fairway, and his next shot hit the lip. Kent hit his approach to about 6 feet and never had to putt for his victory.
Ballester, an Arizona State senior, seized on mistakes by Masaveu to win the 13th and 14th and go 3 up to seize control of the match. They halved the par-5 15th with pars, and Ballester closed him out, 3 and 2, with a par on the 16th.
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