An Appreciation by The European Tour Severiano Ballesteros Sota

An Appreciation by The European Tour
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
SEVERIANO BALLESTEROS SOTA
An appreciation by Mitchell Platts
Seve, the farmer’s son who enraptured the world of golf from the moment he refused to
surrender at Royal Birkdale in 1976, lost the one fight that not even his prodigious courage
would allow him to beat.
Severiano Ballesteros Sota, of Spain,
died following a valiant battle with the
cancer diagnosed as a malignant brain
tumour after he lost consciousness in
Madrid Airport on October 5, 2008. He
underwent four operations at the La
Paz Hospital in Madrid to remove the
tumour and reduce the swelling in his
skull as well as chemotherapy.
A superlative career offered a CV
no other European golfer can match
with five Major Championships,
50 European Tour wins, 38 other
titles worldwide and, of course, a
remarkable Ryder Cup record crowned
by his winning performance as Captain
in 1997 at Club de Golf Valderrama in
Spain. That career was cut short by an
arthritic back, but his death at 54 years
old sadly brought a premature end to
a life which embroidered the game and
enriched us all.
Ballesteros blended skill, spirit and
sheer will power as, playing with his
heart, he fiercely contested every
tournament in which he teed-up.
Millions and millions globally were
drawn to him by his passion and
genius. His legacy can be measured
not only by the titles he captured, but
the way in which he won them. He
threw caution and technique to the
wind. You didn’t have to like golf to
love Seve.
Ballesteros, who on March 22, 1974, at
the age of 16 years 11 months and 12
days became the youngest accredited
professional tournament player in
the history of Spanish golf, made his
European Tour full debut that year in,
appropriately, the Open de España coincidentally the tournament which
brought the last of his European Tour
and his mother, Carmen. They were a
close family, especially on a Sunday,
when Ballesteros would help his father
in the cow shed while his mother
prepared lunch.
wins in 1995 - and then in 1976 he
moved centre-stage at The 105th Open
Championship at Royal Birkdale.
There, at the age of 19, he led for
three days. The week before he had
been bailing hay at home in Pedreña,
Northern Spain, where at the age of
seven he struck his first shots on the
beach with a cut-down three iron using
stones as ammunition. Now he was
living in a little house in Southport,
on the cusp of a glittering career. His
caddie was a local lad, a policeman
called Dick, and the weather was more
Spanish than English. The country was
in the grip of a heat wave.
The seaside crowd and those watching
on TV were mesmerised by the young
Spanish lad belting the ball as hard
as he could. Ballesteros executed the
pragmatism of youth – the shortest
distance between two points being a
straight line to the flag!
By the final day a nation was willing
Ballesteros to hold off the might of
America. He led by three with 17
holes to play but by the turn Johnny
Miller had surged ahead. The title
belonged to the Californian; but
Ballesteros refused to submit. He
produced a blistering birdie-birdieeagle-birdie finish – five under in four
holes – and secured a tie for second
with Jack Nicklaus with a deft, cheeky
pitch and run between bunkers at the
18th with which everyone present
knew they had seen the embryonic
flourish of a true superstar.
In many respects it was hardly a
surprise that Ballesteros should
erupt on the scene in Southport. The
course sits amongst the dunes on the
I recall a breakfast with Seve at the
Ritz in London when, with tears in his
eyes, he spoke warmly of his parents
– his father had now died - and three
brothers. He said: “The biggest
influence on my life was my parents
and probably the surroundings
because our house was right there on
the golf course (Real Club de Golf de
Pedreña). My uncle, Ramon Sota, was
also a professional golfer and he was
very good.
Lancashire coast adjacent to the Irish
Sea. Pedreña, where Ballesteros was
born on April 9, 1957 in a two-storey
stone farmhouse that overlooked
the Real Club de Golf de Pedreña,
is a fishing village near Santander
influenced by the Bay of Biscay.
There Ballesteros grew-up, honed
his game on the beach and later at
the club built in 1929 at the request
of King Alfonso XIII, and began to
believe like all great players in a
sense of destiny. It was inevitable
that he would become a champion.
What increased his confidence was
the loving encouragement he received
from his father, Baldomero, himself
a local hero as a five times winning
oarsman in the Pedreña boat in the
celebrated annual Regata de Traineras,
Baldomero Ballesteros, Seve’s elder brother, spoke of his final moments
at home in Pedreña.
“I held his hands, caressed them and thought ‘what these hands have
done in the world.’ He knew he was dying and he did it with full
presence of mind. He said goodbye to everyone one by one. He grabbed
our hands and whispered into our ears. From very close I told him ‘I
love you.’ And he replied ‘I love you too.’ What is leaving us is more than
a brother, a son or a father; what is leaving us is glory.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady CBE said:
“This is such a very sad day for all who love golf. Seve’s unique legacy must
be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support, and play
golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion, and fierce
determination. We have all been so blessed to live in his era. He was the
inspiration behind The European Tour.”
“My father was always optimistic; he
always believed in me. The house had
belonged to my mother’s uncle. When
we were growing up Baldomero, my
eldest brother, had one bedroom,
Manuel had another and I shared with
Vicente. We were a happy family. We
kept cows which my father looked
after. He also fished, some for us to
eat and some to sell, and he caddied.
It seemed that he and my mother were
always working.”
Later the tears turned to smiles when
he recalled being drunk at the age of
12. He said: “I came home and my
father and mother had gone fishing.
My lunch had been left and there was
a bottle of wine. I had four glasses. It
did not go unnoticed when I returned
to school; I was sent back home!”
Ballesteros swiftly gave up alcohol
and school. His enjoyment at school
was limited to playing with his
friends and running. He won the
regional championship for 1500m
by 25 or 30m. He always craved to
be a champion. His dreams never
concerned money; quite simply he
wanted to be the best.
Nevertheless it was challenging to
learn the game. He said: “It was tough
for me to begin with because I wasn’t
allowed on the golf course. And like
any child, when someone stops you
from doing something, then you want
it more badly. I would sneak on the
course in the evening, practise on the
second hole. I would also play that
second hole from our house by
hitting the ball from out of the
backyard over on to the green. Then
I would run down the hill, grab the
balls and run uphill again. This I did
thousands of times.”
Seve’s upbringing unquestionably
instilled the desire to succeed. Blessed
with wonderful imagination, his ability
to envisage and execute a shot took
your breath away. You almost hoped
that Ballesteros would stray from the
straight and narrow because then you
would be witness to a shot of such
scintillating brilliance that even his
playing partners would shake their
heads in amazed acknowledgement.
That brilliance secured for him his first
Open Championship at Royal Lytham
& St Annes in 1979. He was the only
player to finish under par for the week
and claimed the famous Claret Jug
by three shots from Ben Crenshaw
and Jack Nicklaus. He would win The
Open Championship again in 1984 at
St Andrews and back at Royal Lytham
& St Annes in 1988 and, of course,
became in 1980 the first European to
win the Masters Tournament and won
again at Augusta National in 1983.
In 1979 Ballesteros and his compatriot
Antonio Garrido created more history
when they stepped onto the first tee
at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia, and became
the first continental players in a
now European Ryder Cup Team. This
launched a revolution that would
transform the biennial match with the
United States and trigger a golfing
explosion across the continent of
Europe. In essence the Ballesteros
factor meant that The European Tour,
European golf, world golf would never
be the same.
Ballesteros always wore his heart
on his sleeve but such was his
unique ability to blend consummate
skill with unquenchable spirit and
sheer will power that The Ryder
Cup provided the perfect stage for
his swashbuckling style. Even in
the team’s slender defeat in 1983
at PGA National Golf Club in Palm
Beach Gardens, Florida, he produced
another of those “shots heard round
the world.” It came at the 18th against
Fuzzy Zoeller – a wood that exited the
fairway bunker where the lip was at
its lowest, flew high with a slice and
landed as softly as you like 18 feet
from the hole.
Zoeller still talks about that shot 28
years later. He said: “It is still the
greatest shot I have ever seen – not
just in The Ryder Cup but anywhere. I
still don’t believe it was possible but
Seve saw what no-one else would
have seen.”
In all Ballesteros, having guided
Spain to World Cup victories in 1976
and 1977 and later the Continent of
Europe to success in the inaugural
Seve Trophy, made eight Ryder Cup
appearances as a player – winning
20 points from 37 matches – and he
formed with José Maria Olazábal the
greatest Ryder Cup partnership of all
time with 11 wins and two halves from
15 matches. Then came that special
moment in 1997 when Seve, a real
Captain Marvel of a leader, led Europe
to victory at Valderrama and was
presented with the Cup by the Infanta
Maria, daughter of King Juan Carlos.
What followed, of course, was the
realisation for Ballesteros that his
arthritic condition would not allow
him to resurrect a career that had
brought him and his millions of
admirers so much pleasure and
enabled him to become the Number
One golfer in the world.
Yet even though he had come to
terms with this by announcing his
competitive retirement he was then
forced to use every ounce of the guts
and determination that brought him
fame on the fairways to battle the
wretched disease that would blight the
last two years or more of his life.
Now we mourn the loss of Severiano
Ballesteros Sota who captured all
our hearts and whose legacy is not
simply to be found in the record books
but also in the knowledge that he
leaves the game far, far better than he
found it.
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
TRIBUTES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, Spanish Prime Minister:
“I would like to express my deepest condolences on the death of
Severiano Ballesteros, one of the finest golfers of all time and a
legend in world sport. Severiano represented a beginning and an
end in the history of Spanish sport: his example paved the way for
the extraordinary success our sport is currently enjoying. He was the
mirror which Spanish athletes who have reached the pinnacle of world
sport looked into. Severiano was loved and respected for his great
charisma and strength, which he showed until the very end of his life.”
Jack Peter, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating
Officer, World Golf Hall of Fame and Museum:
“His time came much too soon, and our thoughts and
prayers go out to the Ballesteros family. Seve was
inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999 and
to honour one of our great members, the Spanish flag
at the Hall of Fame has been lowered to half-mast and
a special tribute has been created in the Museum.
We saluted Seve in this week’s Induction Ceremony
and we will never forget the incredible impact he had
on the game.”
Kyi Hla Han, Executive Chairman of the Asian Tour:
“On behalf of the Asian Tour, we were very sad to hear
of Seve’s passing. He was a great champion and he
made world golf what it is today. We send our deepest
condolences to his family.”
HRH The Duke of York:
“I was so sorry to have heard the very sad news of
the death of Seve Ballesteros. Seve was one of the
inspirations for me to take up the game of golf.
His talent and exuberance in the game is his lasting
legacy. I was privileged to be in Valderrama for
The Ryder Cup in 1997 and he was an inspirational
leader and Captain. He will be sadly missed in the
golfing world but his legendary status as the preeminent European golfer of our generation will never be
far from our minds as we toil around trying to emulate
the great man.”
Allen Wronowski, President of the PGA of America:
“In every generation, there appears one performer in
sport who stands out above another for more than just
ability alone. Seve Ballesteros, the gallant warrior from
Pedreña, Spain, was the ultimate competitor. We were
fortunate to have had him choose golf. Seve played with
a rare combination of talent and heart, and his intensity
endeared him to his teammates in The Ryder Cup, a
competition that elevated his talent and leadership. As
long as the pipes may play to call teams together for The
Ryder Cup, they will play for Seve.”
Gonzaga Escauriaza, President of the Royal Spanish
Golf Federation:
“Severiano Ballesteros has always been a model of
talent, determination and perseverance. His loss fills us
with sadness and leaves a great void. It is our sacred
duty to acknowledge his feats and to pass on to future
generations his outstanding legacy.”
Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour:
“All of us at the PGA Tour were very saddened to learn of
the passing of Seve Ballesteros. Our hearts and deepest
sympathies go out to the Ballesteros family and his many
fans during this very sad time. For more than 30 years, Seve
had a large impact on the game and inspired many players
with his creativity and flair on and off the golf course. ”
Jacques Rogge, President of the International
Olympic Committee:
“Seve Ballesteros was a man of incredible skill, charisma
and courage as a sportsman, and the dignified way that
he fought against the disease was characteristic of the
man and was an inspiration to us all. He was a ‘once in a
generation athlete’ in his sport, and his influence on the
game will live long after him.”
Peter Dawson, Chief Executive of the R&A:
“Everyone at the R&A was saddened to hear of Seve’s death. Our
thoughts go out to his family. Seve was one of the brightest lights of
our game and was an inspiration to millions. His iconic celebration
here at St Andrews, on the 18th green in 1984, ranks as one of sport’s
greatest moments. The game has lost one of the greats.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Billy Foster, Seve’s former caddie:
“Seve was an absolute gentleman and the ultimate
warrior. There’s not many players I’ve worked for in my
time that have that aura about them. It was a special
time - I was probably 25 years old, I’d caddied for maybe
ten years, and I got the ultimate dream chance of
working for an absolute superstar.”
Peter Alliss, the voice of BBC Golf:
“He was wonderful to watch. He brought delight and joy to
many people who watched and played golf. He tweaked
a few tails along the way and bloodied a few noses but
that’s what helped make him what he was. He was a
fighter, feisty, skilful, cheeky, lovable, he was everything.”
Guy Kinnings, Director of IMG Golf:
“‘Legend’ is an over-used word but Seve truly was a
legend of the game. He shaped The European Tour into
the thriving enterprise it is today and changed The Ryder
Cup forever. He inspired those he met and many that
he did not even meet, such was the sheer force of his
personality and will be missed and remembered by all.
He was the most charismatic sportsman in history and
he leaves a lasting legacy.”
Andrew Chandler, Managing Director of International
Sports Management:
“It was a privilege for me to have played on The European
Tour when Seve was the best in the world so I saw him
at his absolute best and his best was better than anybody
else’s. He was simply incomparable. Seve was golf’s
Pied Piper. Glamorous women, young kids, blokes and
everybody else followed him and without doubt, he was
the most charismatic person I have ever met anywhere in
the world. There was an unbelievable aura around him
and his smile could light up the darkest room. There will
never be another Severiano Ballesteros.”
Johan Cruyff, former Dutch international footballer:
“Seve was a figure of huge significance for golf and for
world sport, his demise is a terrible loss. He was a great
model for young people. Through his achievements and
his personality, he put golf on the map, and thanks to him,
many people enjoy this wonderful sport nowadays. He
was more than a sportsman.”
Rafael Nadal, Tennis World Number One:
“He was one of the best athletes that Spain has ever had.
He was a pioneer. He was one of the first big athletes that
we have had in this country. When you wake up with news
that he has gone, you face your day differently. The only
thing I can do is to give all my support to his family. It is a
loss that they will never get back due to all the values that
Seve had; he was a great inspiration for all of us and all
the athletes. But luckily we have all of his videos so we can
remember him. I once got the chance to play 18 holes with
him and it’s an unforgettable memory.”
Francisco Pernía, President of Seve’s local football team,
Racing Santander:
“We wore black armbands for our match last weekend
in tribute to a great sportsman, and a unique man, who
fought against his illness to the last.”
Fernando Alonso, Formula One Racing Driver:
“He was a pioneer of golf in Spain. He was a man who
discovered the sport for his country, and someone who
will always remain as one of the greatest in Spanish
sporting history.”
Pep Guardiola, FC Barcelona manager:
“Quite simply, Seve Ballesteros was admired and loved by
all the world. Spanish sport has lost one of its greats.”
Ed Moses, Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman:
“Seve Ballesteros was simply one of the most passionate
and flamboyant sportsmen I have ever had the pleasure
to know. It is cruel to think that we have lost him as a
Laureus family member at such an early age. You can tell
true greatness when someone is recognised everywhere
he goes. And that was true of Seve. When you were with
him, people always wanted to come over and shake his
hand. He was a sportsman who seemed to transcend the
generations. The twinkle in his eyes had not diminished
over the years and you knew you were in the company
of someone exceptional. He will be sadly missed,
but not forgotten.”
Miguel Indurain, five time winner of the Tour de France:
“It is a big loss for the world of sport. Seve always lived his
profession with passion and I have had the opportunity
to share a lot of time with him. He was a great sportsman
and a great person and we will miss him very much.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Seve: his records and achievements
EUROPEAN TOUR INTERNATIONAL SCHEDULE VICTORIES:
Total 50
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1994
1995
Dutch Open
French Open, Uniroyal International (play-off), Swiss Open
Martini International, German Open, Scandinavian Enterprise
Open, Swiss Open
English Golf Classic, 108th Open Championship
Madrid Open, Masters Tournament, Martini International,
Dutch Open
Scandinavian Enterprise Open, Benson and Hedges Spanish Open
Cepsa Madrid Open, Paco Rabanne French Open
Masters Tournament, Sun Alliance PGA Championship,
Carrolls Irish Open, Trophée‑Lancôme
113th Open Championship
Carrolls Irish Open (play-off), Peugeot French Open, Sanyo Open,
Benson and Hedges Spanish Open
Dunhill British Masters, Carrolls Irish Open, Johnnie Walker Monte
Carlo Open, Peugeot French Open, KLM Dutch Open, Trophée
Lancôme (tied) (play-off)
Suze Open (play-off)
117th Open Championship, Mallorca Open de Baleares,
Scandinavian Enterprise Open, German Open, Trophée Lancôme
Cepsa Madrid Open, Epson Grand Prix, Ebel European Masters —
Swiss Open
Open Renault de Baleares (play-off)
Volvo PGA Championship (play-off), Dunhill British Masters
Dubai Desert Classic (play-off), Turespaña Open de Baleares
(play-off)
Benson and Hedges International Open, Mercedes German
Masters (play-off)
Peugeot Open de España
EUROPEAN TOUR APPROVED SPECIAL EVENT VICTORIES:
Total 7
1976
1981
1982
1984
1985
1991
1995
Trophée Lancôme
Suntory World Match Play Championship
Suntory World Match Play Championship
Suntory World Match Play Championship
Suntory World Match Play Championship
Toyota World Match Play Championship
Tournoi Perrier de Paris (with José Maria Olazábal)
SEVE: IN NUMBERS
INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT VICTORIES: Total 12
1977
1978
1981
1983
1985
1988
1991
Japan Open, Dunlop Phoenix (JPN), Otago Classic (NZL)
Greater Greensboro Open (USA), Japan Open
Australian PGA Championship, Dunlop Phoenix (JPN)
Westchester Classic (USA)
USF&G Classic (USA)
Westchester Classic (USA), VISA Taiheiyo Masters (JPN)
Chunichi Crowns Open (JPN)
OTHER TOURNAMENT VICTORIES: Total 19
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1982
1983
1984
1985
1987
1988
1992
Campeonato Nacional Para Sub-25 (ESP), Open de Vizcaya (ESP)
Campeonato Nacional Para Sub-25 (ESP)
Memorial Donald Swaelens (BEL), Campeonato de Cataluna (ESP),
Campeonato de Tenerife (ESP)
Braun International Golf (GER)
Kenya Open, Campeonato de España Sub-25
Open el Prat (ESP)
Masters de San Remo (ITA)
Million Dollar Challenge (RSA)
Million Dollar Challenge (RSA)
Campeonato de España-Codorniu
APG Larios (ESP), Campeonato de España Para Profesionales
APG Larios (ESP), Campeonato de España Para Profesionales
Copa Quinto Lentenario per Equipos (ARG)
TEAMS (PRO)
1979, 83, 85 (winners), 87 (winners), 89, 91, 93, 95
(winners), 97 (Captain) (winners)
Alfred Dunhill Cup
1985, 86, 88
World Cup
1975, 76 (winners), 77 (winners), 91
Hennessy Cognac Cup 1976, 78, 80
Double Diamond
1975, 76, 77
The Seve Trophy
2000 (winners), 02, 03, 07
(Captain)
The Royal Trophy
2006 (winners), 07 (winners)
(Captain)
Ryder Cup
SPECIAL AWARDS
Harry Vardon Trophy
Ryle Memorial Medal
AGW Trophy
European Tour Golfer of the Year
World Golf Hall of Fame
Honorary Member of The European Tour
PGA Recognition Award
BBC Lifetime Achievement Award
16 – The age when he turned professional in
March 1974.
312 – The number of events he was in the money in
his European Tour career.
17 – Played his first European Tour event; the
1974 Spanish Open, aged 17 years and eight days
to become the youngest professional to play in
a European Tour event. This record still stands
today.
88 – The number of professional titles he won
between 1974 and 1995.
19 – Aged 19 years and 121 days when he won his
first European Tour title, at the 1976 Dutch Open,
beating Howard Clark by eight shots.
19 – Aged 19 years and 250 days became the
youngest player to become European Tour Number
One in 1976.
61 – The total number of weeks he spent at World
Number One from April 1986 to August 1989.
50 – The number of European Tour International
Schedule victories he won.
418 – The number of European Tour events he
played in between 1974 and 2007.
5 – Number of Major Championships he won;
three Open Championship titles and two Masters
Tournament titles.
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
1986 – The last player on The European Tour to win
three consecutive events. They were at the Irish
Open, Monte Carlo Open and French Open.
1-2-3 – First player on The European Tour to pass £1,
£2 and £3 million in European Tour Official Career
Earnings.
1976, 77, 78, 86, 88, 91
1979, 84, 88
1979, 84, 91
1986, 88, 91
1999
1983
2006
2009
16 – The number of times he finished in the top ten
of the Order of Merit during his career. A record he
holds jointly with Bernhard Langer.
22 – The age he became the youngest player in the
20th Century to win The Open Championship in 1979.
12 – The number of Ryder Cup points won in
partnership with José Maria Olazábal, making the
pair the most successful in Ryder Cup history.
1979 – The year he first played in The Ryder Cup,
along with fellow Spaniard, Antonio Garrido.
17 – Won at least one European Tour event for 17
years between 1976 and 1992. This is a European
Tour record.
2 – Number of times he won the World Cup for
Spain: in 1976 and 1977 with Manuel Piñero and
Antonio Garrido respectively.
6 – Became the first player in European Tour history
to record six official wins in the same season in
1986. The events were: British Masters, Irish Open,
Monte Carlo Open, Open de France, Dutch Open
and Trophée Lancôme.
8 – The number of Ryder Cup matches he played in
between 1979 and 1995.
20 – The number of points he won in The Ryder Cup
from his 37 matches played.
1980 – First European to win the Masters
Tournament.
1999 – The year he was inducted into the World Golf
Hall of Fame.
23 – Aged 23 and four days became the then youngest
player to win the Masters Tournament in 1980.
6 – Number of times he was European Tour Number
One. The years were: 1976, 77, 78, 86, 88, 91.
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
TRIBUTES FROM THE GOLF WRITERS
Núria Pastor (La Vanguardia)
“Seve discovered golf for the Spanish people and made all of us
feel very proud of his victories. I had the privilege to cover his
career since the very beginning. There was nothing like following
Seve on a golf course. His fierceness, his desire, his way to play
and his determination were unique. His image will be in our
minds forever.”
Carlos Arribas (El País)
“He changed the history of golf not only in Europe but also in
the United States. There has been no other individual figure
with so much influence in the development of his sport. He
brought life and oxygen to an ancient sport. He was a wild and
courageous man and a proud spirit. His soul was the soul of
somebody who knew he was special and unique.”
Bill Elliott (Golf Monthly)
“Seve brought a passion to golf that it never had before and has
not enjoyed since. He made this stuffy old game seem sexy and
exciting. He was the godfather of the modern European Tour,
moving the interest from golf lovers to general sports fans and
non-sports fans alike.”
Nick Pitt (The Sunday Times)
“He was the most brilliant and influential golfer of his time; he
did more than anybody to lift the status of European golf, to
build its Tour and to turn The Ryder Cup into one of the world’s
premier sporting events. “
Derek Lawrenson (The Daily Mail)
“Seve Ballesteros at the highest of his powers might just have
represented the zenith in the 500-year history of the Royal and
Ancient game.”
Karl MacGinty (The Irish Independent)
“On the course, his shot-making could be surreal and as wildly
inventive as Salvador Dali…though Seve also succeeded in
melting the stuffy social mores of golf with his personality.”
Raul Andreu (Mundo Deportivo and Solo Golf Y Viajes)
“Passion, charisma, tenacity, spirit of fight, humanity, sense of
humour...the list is very long. Seve was an unbelievable person and
this is, for me, the saddest moment of my career. However, I’ve been
a very privileged man to know him, to have meals and dinners with
him, night chats with him and a drink, to watch soccer matches with
him...to have a relationship with one of the world best athletes. God
bless Seve, ADEMÁS DE CAMPEÓN, AMIGO.
Martin Samuel (The Daily Mail)
“More than any other player he brought the sport to the masses,
the working class, the young. We thought he was just like us, yet
he was so much more. He was a great champion and he was the
people’s champion. And he always will be.”
John Hopkins (The Times)
“Some people are born to sing or dance, some to play the piano.
Seve Ballesteros was born to play golf.”
Paul Hayward (The Observer)
“Notable sportsmen and sportswomen leave us every week and
stock phrases of sorrow are rolled out by people who never met
them, but few will depart to so much anguish as Seve Ballesteros.”
Javier Pinedo (Canal+ Golf)
“Our idol is gone. Along with Julio Iglesias and Placido Domingo,
he was the best ambassador we have ever had for our country. If
there is something special I would like to remember about Seve,
it is what defines him the best - his pride to be the best golfer
ever. When we take a look at the World Ranking now, and see the
European control, we consider it normal, but it is thanks to the
pride Seve transmitted to all the players in the ‘Old Continent’,
something inconceivable at that time, and that is what I consider
his best and main legacy.”
David Facey (The Sun)
“Seve leaves the glorious legacy as the most exciting and
arguably the best loved player ever to hold a golf club.”
Kevin Garside (The Daily Telegraph)
“Seve was a golfing blood transfusion, a fist-pumping,
slim-hipped fairway Elvis with hair that shimmered and eyes
that blazed.”
Jim Holden (Sunday Express)
“Seve was the hero who embodied everything we hope to find in
a sportsman – chivalry, genius, panache, courage, spellbinding
magnetism and an unquenchable will to win.”
James Lawton (The Independent)
“There were times when the golf of Ballesteros was almost
incidental. The passion and the grace and the burning eyes and
the windswept hair and the noble head and the fist-pumping
self belief were what commanded the attention of his people
as much as the superb anarchy of his play.”
Isabel Trillo (Spanish Golf Writer)
“Seve made me understand the greatness of this sport through
shots I could not understand at the beginning, but which later I
realised were unrepeatable in other hands. Even in his decline,
when his back was hurting, I enjoyed following him on the golf
course. He always gave us one of his magic shots. Thank you,
Seve, for making me a better person.”
Richard Williams (The Guardian)
“In good times and bad Severiano Ballesteros never failed to
remind us of why we fell in love with the sport in the first
place. Watching him play in his gorgeous prime, swept along
on gusts of glory, improvising with an artist’s instinct and
touch, was an infallibly life–affirming experience. Watching him
during the long years of decline was a reminder of mortality.”
Andy Dunn (News of the World)
“Occasionally, he was afforded the full magisterial sweep of his
name. Severiano Ballesteros. Say it. It flows like a beautiful golf
swing. To the world, though, he was always Seve. Simply Seve.
A word that spread a smile across every sport lover’s face. And
in death, still does.”
María Acacia López-Bachiller (European Tour Spanish Press Officer)
“I started working with Seve at the 1974 Spanish Open. We became friends. I had the privilege of spending 28 years of my
life very close to Seve, not the legend or the golfer, but my friend. I shared many moments with him; victories, defeats,
fights, joy, frustration… but especially very long conversations in which we turned the whole world of golf upside down. I
sat next to him at hundreds of press conferences, many were very interesting, others amusing and a few very tense when
he was in his fighting mood! We shared lunches, dinners and travelled together. One trip I will never forget in April 1997
– we went to the opening of a golf course in Portugal and, from there, we travelled to Valderrama by helicopter. We flew
along the Portuguese and Spanish coast, the Gulf of Cádiz and the mouths of the Guadiana and Guadalquivir rivers; the
helicopter was flying so low that we could appreciate everything, it was one of the most beautiful trips I’ve ever taken. I
was very pleased when he married Carmen Botín, an excellent person who left her life behind and gave him everything
she had. I remember how happy he was when their children were born, he was a very proud daddy, especially when little
Carmen called him ‘Papote.’ Seve, you thanked me many times for being your friend and taking care of you. Be sure that
from now on, I will always be there for Javier, Miguel and Carmen.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The European Tour, the Tour Players
Foundation and Wentworth Club would
like to thank the following for their
contributions to Olé Seve
FORMAT
ITINERARY
Par is your friend – All birdies (net or gross)
10.00 - 12.00
count for team score.
Registration & Brunch Wentworth Club Ballroom
Full handicap allowance - 18 for men,
18 for ladies
Valet Parking or Bag Drop available in
Wentworth Club ‘Turning Circle’
All individuals & companies purchasing Amateur Teams
All competing European Tour Professionals
Mark Roe, Denis Pugh, Hugh Marr & Simon Holmes
BMW
European Tour Productions
PRIZES
1st, 2nd & 3rd Team Prize
Dom Pérignon
Moët & Chandon
Marqués de Riscal
Graeme Baxter & Baxter Golf Art
Bushnell/Bolle
Thomas Lyte
Joe Malone
Titleist
All individuals & companies contributing to auction lots
ABOUT THE SEVE BALLESTEROS FOUNDATION
In October 2008, Seve faced the “toughest
of raising funds for research into this
match of his life”. He collapsed at Madrid
Airport and following the discovery of a brain
devastating disease.
The Foundation has already enjoyed great
tumour the size of two golf balls, underwent
success in its inaugural year, raising £700,000
four debilitating operations, chemotherapy and
radiotherapy. It was Seve’s spirit, together with
the skills and expertise of surgeons, that gave
so far. In July, the Foundation raised over
£100,000 at the Open Championship and
September saw the inaugural Seve Ballesteros
him what he calls now “my second chance”.
More than 4,600 adults are diagnosed
with cancerous tumours of the brain and
Foundation Pro-Am tournament take place
at Foxhills Club & Resort, Surrey, where over
£60,000 was raised. The highlight of the year
central nervous system each year in the UK.
Unfortunately, only 15% of these will survive
for five years or more after their diagnosis.
was the Foundation’s flagship event, Viva la
Vida, which saw 400 guests, celebrities and
golfers come together to pay tribute to Seve
challenges around understanding brain cancer
continue our work and help Seve achieve his
ABOUT THE SEVE BALLESTEROS FOUNDATION
In October
2008, Seve began the toughest match ofand
hiscelebrate
life. He collapsed
Madrid
Airport
European at
Golf’s
stellar
season.
Brain tumours are difficult to detect and treat
and following the discovery of a brain tumour the size of two golf balls, underwent four
The Seve Ballesteros Foundation has made
as many symptoms are not specific to brain
debilitating operations, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. It was Seve’s spirit, together with
great strides this year in raising funds for
tumours,
and can differ
dependingthat
on where
the skills
and expertise
of surgeons,
saw him battle
the tumour for nearly three years
world class
cancer research projects. To
thefinally
brain the
is situated.
With the of Saturday
beforeinhe
losttumour
the fight
on the morning
Maybrain
7, 2011.
The Foundation has already enjoyed great success,
More than 4,600 adults are diagnosed with cancerous
aim, we need your help. To find out how you
and
how
to and
treat
it, it nervous
is imperative
thatyear
we find
tumours
of the
brain
central
system each
raising £700,000 so far. In July 2010, the Foundation raised
Seve
Foundation
in the UK.
Unfortunately,
only 15% of
these
willthis
survive
thansupport
£100,000 the
at The
OpenBallesteros
Championship
and in
new
ways to diagnose
and
treat
disease. morecan
September, the inaugural Seve Ballesteros Foundation Profor five years or more after their diagnosis. Brain tumours
please visit:
Following
Seve’s
own
diagnosis,
are difficult
to detect and
treat as
many
symptoms he
are has
Am tournament took place at Foxhills Club & Resort, Surrey,
where
over £60,000 was raised. The highlight of the year
not specific
to brain
tumours,
andincan
differ depending
www.seveballesterosfoundation.org
vowed
to help
those
a similar
position
on where in the brain the tumour is situated. With the
was the Foundation’s flagship event, Viva la Vida, which saw
On course to beat brain cancer.
to himself.
In 2009, Seve
set
up the
challenges
around understanding
brain
cancer
andSeve
how to
400 guests, celebrities and golfers come together to pay
treat it, Ballesteros
it is imperative
that we find new
ways to diagnose
Foundation
in partnership
with tribute to Seve and celebrate European golf’s stellar season.
Supporting
and treat this disease.
Cancer Research UK, with the ambition
The Seve Ballesteros Foundation has made further strides
Following Seve’s own diagnosis, he vowed to help those in
this year in raising funds for world class brain cancer
Supporting
a similar position to himself and, in 2009, set up the Seve
research projects.
To continue our work and help Seve
Ballesteros Foundation in partnership with Cancer Research
achieve his aim, we need your help. To find out how you can
support the Seve Ballesteros Foundation please visit
UK, with the ambition of raising funds for research into this
devastating disease.
www.seveballesterosfoundation.org
Longest Drive (Amateurs Only) - 12th Hole
11:15 - 12.30
Practice Range & Putting Green open BMW PGA Practice Facilities
Europe’s leading long & short game coaches
Trouble
Shot
Challenge”
In“Seve’s
Aid of the
Seve
Ballesteros
Foundation, Mayavailable
23, 2011,
The West
Course,
Wentworth Club
for pre-round
coaching
- Mark Roe,
(Amateurs Only) - 16th
Hole
Denis Pugh, FOUNDATION
Hugh Marr & Simon Holmes
IN AID
OF THE SEVE BALLESTEROS
EVENT INFORMATION
MENUS
23RD
MAY
2011, THE WEST COURSE, WENTWORTH CLUB
Seve is renowned as one of
the
greatest
Pre-Round Brunch – Traditional Full English Breakfast
FORMAT
‘Trouble Shot’ exponents golf has ever
12:30
Par is your friend – All birdies
or gross)
count
On Course
Refreshments
Hola and(net
welcome
to Olé Seve
andfor
to
because
of this research
that I am able to
seen,
take up his Wentworth,
‘nearestone
the
pin’ bunker
Players
congregate
in ‘Turning Circle’ for
1st
Tee,
9th
Tee,
team
score.
of my favourites places
have
an
extra
time
that14th
years Hole
ago would
notAll
have
happened.
Tees
- Hildon Mineral
Water
shot challenge. with so many great memories. This is a big
transportation
to their
respective tees
themen
Seve and
Ballesteros
Full handicap allowanceevent
– 18forfor
ladiesFoundation
and its strong partnership with Cancer
Research UK and I am very honoured that
MENUS
PRIZES
so many of my great friends and colleagues
1st, 2nd & 3rd Team
Pre-Round
Brunch
– Traditional
in the
world of golf haveFull
found time to help
Longest Drive (Amateurs Only) - 12th Hole
our cause. It has been a difficult time in my
Nearest
the Pin
(Amateurs
Only)
English
Breakfast
with
all- 2nd
the Hole
trimmings
life with the brain tumour, but there is no
other option than to accept the situation
On Course Refreshments
- 1st
and fight against
it. Tee,
ITINERARY
Thousands
of others
suffer from thisClub
10.00
–
12.00
Registration
&
Brunch
- Wentworth
9th Tee, 14th Hole
severe illness every day, but not all are so
Ballroom
fortunate or
to fight
disease.
This is the
Valet Parking
Bagthe
Drop
available
in
Evening Function
– Wentworth
presents
reason
why my
family and
I decided to
Wentworth
Club
‘Turning
Circle’
create
the Seve
Ballesteros
Foundation
11:15
12.30
Practice
Range
& Putting
Green
openand
‘A –Taste
Spain’
contribute to help others.
BMW PGA Practice Facilities
doctors have been exceptional but I
Europe’sMy
leading
long & short game
Champagne & Wines
also know that by funding research into brain
coaches available for pre-round coaching –
cancer, the Seve Ballesteros Foundation in
Mark
Roe, Denis2002,
Pugh, Marques
Hugh Marr de
&
Dom Perignon
- Vintage
partnership with Cancer Research UK has
Simonalready
Holmes
huge strides and I know it is
Riscal - Grand Reservemade
& Sauvignon
12:15Players congregate in ‘Turning Circle’ for
transportation to their respective tees
Entertainment
13:00
Shotgun start
18:00
approx- Alejandra
Players transported
to the clubhouse
Cabaret
Velasco, back
Flamenco
18:00Champagne Reception, Casual Dining,
Dancer withPrize
accompanying
guitarist
Giving & Auction
20:00
Evening
function
ends
Master of Ceremonies - Andrew Cotter
Auctioneer
Jonny
Gould
Evening
Function- Dress
Code
Informal/Golf Attire. Pro-Am Teams Wives & Partners are
welcome to attend
What can I say about Wentworth, and the
famous
West Function
Course? I have so many great
Evening
memories.
the place, and
the fans,
Wentworth
‘A Taste
of Spain’
13:00I lovedpresents
from the moment I first played in the World
Shot
– Rocket
Match
Play gun
in 1976.start
knows howto
Champagne
&Everyone
Wines
Entertainment
transported
back
– soPlayers
it is truly special
to celebrate the
20th to
Cabaret - Flamenco Dancer with Spanish
anniversary of those wins with this event.
the clubhouse
Master
of Ceremonies - Andrew Cotter
In golf, and in illness, we all have to be
Auctioneer
- Jonny Gould
patient, never give up and keep believing that
band
we will win. So I say to you, my dear friends
18:00
in this wonderful game, a big thank you for
The
European
Tour,
the Foundation.
Tour Players
Foundation
supporting
the Seve Ballesteros
Champagne
Reception,
Casual
and
Wentworth Club would like to thank the following for their
Dining, Prize
contributions
to Giving
Olé Seve!& Auction
All individuals
& companies purchasing Amateur Teams
Seve Ballesteros
20:00
All
competing European Tour Professionals
Mark Roe, Denis Pugh, Hugh Marr & Simon Holmes
Evening function ends
BMW
European Tour Productions
Moët Hennessy
Evening Function Dress Code
Marqués de Riscal
Graeme
Baxter & Attire.
Baxter Golf
Art
Informal/Golf
Pro-Am
Teams
Bushnell/Bolle
Wives Lyte
& Partners are welcome to attend
Thomas
Titleist
All individuals & companies contributing to auction lots
All proceeds will go to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation working in a partnership with
Cancer
Research
UK Registered
Charity Number
1089464
All proceeds will go
to the
Seve Ballesteros
Foundation
working
in a partnership with
Cancer Research UK Registered Charity Number 1089464
This publication is edited and published by the Communications
Division of The European Tour, Wentworth Drive, Virginia Water, Surrey, GU25 4LX
Tel: +44 (0) 1344 840400 Fax: +44 (0) 1344 840444
Email: [email protected]
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
be used
much
I enjoy
match play and it was wonderful
Dom
Perignon
to win that title five times. The last time was
Marques de Riscal
in 1991
– theapprox
same year I won another great
18:00
event at Wentworth, the PGA Championship
A range of video and audio tributes to Seve Ballesteros
are available at www.europeantour.com
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
PLAYER TRIBUTES
Ramon Sota:
“He had everything. One of the most beautiful houses, a beautiful family, a great career to
remember and he was a great player everybody loved. This should have been the time he was able
to say ‘The world is mine now.’ I’m 73 years old but suddenly there are no more chances for him.
Fifty four years old. Adios. It’s tough, it’s just not fair. This was not right for my nephew.”
Thomas Björn:
“He was brilliant and talented. A genius and a gentleman.
Everything you could wish for in a sportsman and
someone to idolise. He was fantastic to watch. Although
I came on the scene towards the end of his career I could
only imagine what he must have been like at his peak. A
man you would definitely prefer to watch than to face as
an opponent.”
Matteo Manassero:
“We have lost somebody who meant so much to everyone
in golf. To me, he was the best player and the most
inspiring player in the world. I met him for the first time
when I was four years old and he was my idol ever since
then. He inspired me then and he will continue to inspire
me throughout my career.”
Ken Brown:
“We in Britain loved Seve so much that we can forget the
impact he had across the whole of Europe, giving so many
non-golfing people an interest in the game. In a way he
was our Arnold Palmer. But it does Seve Ballesteros a
disservice to compare him to anybody. He was unique. He
was Seve. Say no more.”
Paul McGinley:
“Nobody in the game has ever had the same charisma.
When he smiled the whole world smiled with him…he
lived his life in a very emotional way and that’s what
made him so enduring.”
Paul Casey:
“He really blazed the trail for Europeans. Not only in The
Ryder Cup, but also in how he played at Augusta and his
victories over in America. We owe a huge amount to him.”
Eamonn Darcy:
“He was one of the most loved players ever to put on a pair
of golf shoes.”
Ernie Els:
“Seve was an absolute hero of mine and I modelled so
much of my game on him. I was very fortunate to have
had the opportunity to play with him many times and the
most memorable was our battle in the World Match Play
of 1994. It was an unforgettable day and I feel honoured
that I was able to share centre stage with him. The world
of golf has lost one of its greatest heroes.”
Sir Nick Faldo:
“For golf, he was the greatest show on earth. I was a fan
and so fortunate that I had a front-row seat.”
David Feherty:
“I remember looking at Seve in the team room at The
1991 Ryder Cup and thinking to myself that he seemed
physically smaller than when I saw him on the golf course
or on television. Any other week other than The Ryder
Cup, he didn’t know me very well. But that one week he
cared so much that he went out of his way to make me
feel like I was a friend of his. I only realised in retrospect
that it wasn’t that he looked smaller – it was that he made
me feel bigger.”
so than in the manner in which he battled this terrible
illness. It is the most enormous loss to the world of sport
to lose this great man although he will be remembered
and loved forever.”
Padraig Harrington:
“Seve was the most charismatic and artistic golfer I have
ever seen play the game. He helped the tremendous
growth of The European Tour during the 1970’s and the
1980’s and inspired all those players who came after him.”
Hale Irwin:
“He was one of the best players in the era in which I
played. There were very few players who you could simply
call by a name like Arnie, Jack or Lee and know who
exactly it was. He was one of those guys.”
Tony Jacklin:
“Does any one shot stand out? Not really, the impossible
was being done all the time. He did things other players
couldn’t do. There was only one Seve.”
Bernard Gallacher:
“Every European Tour player today should thank Seve for
what they’re playing for. America had Jack Nicklaus and
Arnold Palmer - Seve was our Arnold Palmer and Jack
Nicklaus rolled into one. You can’t speak too highly of him.”
Bernhard Langer:
“He meant so much to European golf. He had his battles
with the European and the US Tours but he showed
the rest of the world that we had some great players in
Europe. When we saw that Seve could win Majors and
tournaments all over the world, it gave us the belief that
we could do the same thing. I was blessed to live at the
same time as him and see one of the greatest golfers ever
in action so many times.”
Sergio Garcia:
“He inspired me so much throughout my career and I
admired him above all for his fighting spirit - never more
Davis Love III:
“He was somebody that I looked up to. I copied his swing.
Everybody wanted to be as exciting as Seve.” Phil Mickelson:
“To me the greatest thing about Seve was his flair and
his charisma. Because of the way he played the game
of golf, you were drawn to him. You wanted to go watch
him play.”
Francesco Molinari:
“Seve was a superhero for all young golfers. He played
shots only he could see.”
Colin Montgomerie:
“There are very few legends in the world, Seve is one of
them. I never saw such a talent to swing a golf club, and
we may never see it again. We have lost one of the great
icons of the game, it is a great loss for Spain, for Europe
and for the world. But he has left us with so many
wonderful lasting memories and his contributions to
European golf are unquantifiable.”
Jack Nicklaus:
“Golf has lost a great champion and a great friend. We have
also lost a great entertainer and ambassador for our sport.
It was his creativity, his imagination, and his desire to
compete that made him so popular not only in Europe but
throughout American galleries, too. We can only imagine
how difficult this battle has been for him and his family the
last few years, but I know Seve faced it with the same grit,
fight and spirit he approached his golf career.”
Arnold Palmer:
“Seve was a great guy and an outstanding competitor.
I considered him to be a good friend of mine. His
dynamic talent was evident from the time he first
arrived on the scene.”
Nick Price:
“He was an incredible golfer. He was always very kind to
me and his love for the game and his competitiveness
was something I learned so much from. He was just an
incredible personality. I think all of us who played with him
or spent any time with him are the richer for it.” José Rivero:
“Many memories come to mind, particularly from The Ryder
Cup. The first time we won at The Belfry in 1985 was very
special, and the next even more, because that time we
won in the US. Seve was the soul of the team, the real
Captain. He was the great driving force for golf in Spain
and in Europe.”
Sam Torrance:
“Without Seve Ballesteros, where would we all be today?
What would be the state of European golf and the
interest in the sport around the world were it not for the
charismatic Spaniard? There was never a golfer like him
and very few whose influence was so widespread. Seve
had it all, the looks, the charm, the style and, of course, a
remarkable talent.”
Lee Westwood:
“It is a sad day. We have lost an inspiration, a genius, a
role model, a hero and a friend. Seve gave his all for golf
and what the game and The European Tour particularly
owes him is immense. We would not be playing where
and for what we are today without him having graced
the world’s fairways. He was iconic.”
Tiger Woods:
“Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to
ever play the game. His creativity and inventiveness on the
golf course may never be surpassed.”
Miguel Angel Jiménez:
“He was outstanding for his determination and his passion in everything he did. He
never gave up, he always found a way out, and this was reflected in his personality.
I have lived so many moments with him that it’s hard to choose one. I would maybe
highlight the 1997 Ryder Cup, where I was his assistant. It was a truly special week.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011
José Maria Olazábal and Seve Ballesteros formed the most
successful partnership in Ryder Cup history. Their hugely
impressive record together reads: Played 15, Won 11, Lost 2,
Halved 2, Total Points 12.
José Maria and Seve played together in 15 consecutive
foursome and fourball matches, beginning with the day one
foursomes of 1987 and ending with the day two foursomes in
1993. In 1987 they won three out of four matches together.
In both the 1989 and 1991 Ryder Cups the duo claimed three
and a half points out of a possible four. Their partnership
ended in 1993 with two points from their three games.
Their friendship was as strong off the course as it was on it
and it was no surprise that when José Maria was named as
Captain of The 2012 European Ryder Cup Team, the first man
he called was Seve.
José María Olazábal said: “My first memory of Seve goes back to 1983 and 1984. I was an amateur, and he
called me to play in a charity event. It was a big surprise and I was very excited. It’s hard to choose one of the
many moments that I lived with him, but surely the most cherished are Ryder Cup moments, particular the
1997 edition.
“What impressed most in Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he
did. I saw him for the last time the Saturday after the Masters. He was not well, but his head was clear. We
talked about many things… so many common memories, and particularly about The Ryder Cup.
“The best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him, although no tribute will ever do justice to
everything he did for golf and to everything he gave us.”
Severiano Ballesteros Sota: 1957-2011