Amateur Jose Luis Ballester has sparked his fair share of headlines throughout the Masters week – with none really to do with his golf game. 

The reigning US Amateur champion made his debut at Augusta National this week, missing the cut after shooting a four-over 76 and six-over 78. 

He caused a stir among golf fans, but his latest moment in the spotlight is not about his game. It’s actually his girlfriend who is getting all the attention.

Hayden Riley James, the Spaniard’s girlfriend, has become a sensation in online golf communities. She posted a series of pictures showing her cheering on her golfing partner.

James, who works as a hairstylist in Scottsdale, shared photos from their time in Augusta. She was seen supporting Ballester during the tournament, joined by his sister Julia, parents, and other relatives.

‘the most special place with the most special people. i’m so proud of you @joseleballester , go kill it this week babe!,’ she captioned the post, which was shared on Thursday. 

Amateur Jose Luis Ballester has sparked his fair share of headlines throughout the Masters

Now, the Spaniard’s girlfriend has made waves, going viral among raving golf fans 

Hayden James shared a series of snaps from Augusta National to her Instagram profile  

Fans flocked to her Instagram to trawl through her photos after her boyfriend shot to fame

‘So happy to share this week with you. ILY!,’ Ballester replied in the comments. 

While Ballester’s Masters came to a close after just two rounds, the golfing world is still going wild over the beautiful blonde. 

Ballester plays college golf at Arizona State, earning his spot in the 2025 Masters thanks to his US Amateur win last summer. 

However, the Amateur caused a stir during the first round when, playing alongside world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, he sported a cap with ‘Sun Devils’ written upside down on the front. An apparent fashion faux pas among golf’s traditionalists. 

He truly horrified Augusta’s most orthodox patrons when he took relief of a very different kind at one of the course’s most famous landmarks. 

Ballester urinated into Rae’s Creek at the 13th at the risk of facing punishment from the powers that be at the church of golf.

‘I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box,’ an unrepentant Ballester explained after he was caught in the act.

‘I really needed to pee. I didn’t really know where to go…I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river and probably people would not see me that much, and then they clapped for me.’

James, a hairstylist in the Scottsdale area, supported the US Amateur champion 

James shares a snap from her recent vacation to Nuevo Vallarta in Mexico

Her social accounts have added thousands more followers amid her boyfriend’s Masters fame

However, he appeared to have avoided the wrath of the Augusta officials over his unscheduled pit stop when he was permitted to return to tee it up for the second round alongside Scheffler and Justin Thomas. 

Ballester is the son of two Spanish Olympians with his mother Sonia Barrio winning a gold medal in field hockey at the 1992 Barcelona games.

Meanwhile, his father, Jose Luis Ballester Sr., was an Olympic swimmer, who also competed at the University of Florida. 

Ballester, who hails from Castellón, Spain, has one sister, Julia, who is also a collegiate golfer as a sophomore at Kansas State.