Noah Kent secured his spot in the championship match of the U.S. Amateur by sinking an important 18-foot putt on the 15th hole to maintain a 1-up lead over Jackson Buchanan and ultimately defeating him 2 up. The Iowa sophomore hasn’t trailed in any match since the second round, and he will now face Jose Luis Ballester of Spain in a 36-hole title match on Sunday at Hazeltine National.

In the other semifinal match, Jose Luis Ballester emerged victorious against compatriot Luis Masaveu after gaining the lead for the first time with a birdie on the ninth hole and extending his advantage during the back nine. Both Kent and Ballester have already secured spots in the Masters and the U.S. Open at Oakmont next year, with the winner of the championship match also earning a place in the British Open at Royal Portrush.

Ballester, a senior at Arizona State, capitalized on errors by Masaveu to win the 13th and 14th holes, surging 3 up and ultimately closing out the match 3 and 2 with a par on the 16th hole. Kent’s victory over Buchanan was hard-earned, with Buchanan making a late rally by birdying the 17th hole, but a mistake on the 18th led to Kent securing his win without having to putt.

Both Kent and Ballester have shown strong performances throughout the U.S. Amateur tournament, setting the stage for an exciting championship match on Sunday.