Seve
And to think he graduated out of the caddie yard of Pedreña Golf Club to become the great Champion he was on the grandest stages around the world, is still electrifying, inspiring, memorable and unforgettable.
Seve, son of Baldomero Ballesteros and Carmen Sota, was born on April 9th, 1957 in the small fisherman’s village of Pedreña, on the southern side of the Bay of Santander in northern Spain. This area has one of the greatest golfing traditions in Continental Europe. With this background, an impressive natural talent, and his determination and hard work, Seve learned to play golf using a 3 iron that his brother Manuel gave him, and developed a huge variety of shots playing on the local beach.
At the age of ten, he took part in his first caddy tournament. He recorded a score of 51 over 9 holes at Pedreña Golf Club, starting with a 10 on the first hole – a par 3. The following year, he finished second with 42.At the age of 12 he played the full 18 holes and won the event with a score of 79. His progress from then was rapid – at 13 he shot a 65. Seve was not often allowed to play much on the local Royal Pedreña Golf Club so most of his early golf was played on the beach and when he climbed over the wall in Pedreña to play the course on moonlit nights.
He turned professional on March 22nd, 1974 just short of his 17th birthday and announced his retirement on July 16th, 2007 at the age of 50, during the The Open Championship. His career achievements include 93 tournament victories including five Majors; The Open Championship in 1979, 1984 and 1988; Masters Tournament 1980 and 1983. He won five World Match-Plays, two World Cups and played in nine Ryder Cups Matches. In 1974 he finished twentieth in his first pro event, the Spanish Professionals Championship at San Cugat. He was disappointed as he expected to win. Shortly after that he won his first Under-25 Spanish Championship in Pedreña. In his early years playing abroad he had the support of his friend, Doctor Cesar Campuzano.
The 1976 Open Championship where he finished second to Johnny Miller, sharing the honour with Jack Nicklaus, was where Seve introduced himself to the world stage. He hit the headlines for three days for his dashing good looks, ingenious shotmaking and courageous play that ended with a daring pitch and run chip shot on the 72nd hole for a birdie that was seen all over the world. That year he won the Order of Merit in Europe with victories at the Dutch Open and Trophy Lancome, catching Arnold Palmer from 4 shots behind with nine holes to go. He also won the World Cup of Golf team event in California with Manuel Piñero for Spain. In 1977 he again won the European Order of Merit and in 1978 his wins in USA, Kenya and Japan turned him into an international star. He won six consecutive tournaments in four continents, a feat unmatched for many years. By the age of 20 he had already won golf tournaments on five continents.
He lived to put all of the raging energy, speed, and physical and psychological power in every shot. Everyone knew it. This is what electrified everyone’s emotional gravity and attraction to follow him into the war of competition, which only he could electrify with an entertainment that is still alive in people’s imagination and memory banks thirty to forty years later.
Of the five Majors he won the first was The Open Championship in 1979. He was the youngest winner in the 20th century. He stunned the golfing world at 23 in 1980 by leading the Masters Tournament by 10 shots with 9 holes to go, reeling off 23 birdies and an eagle. He was the first European and only the second foreigner to win the coveted the Green Jacket. In 1983 Seve captured his second Masters title with an astonishing start in the last round: birdie, eagle, par, birdie. The 1984 Open Championship was held at St. Andrews, the iconic and historic Home of Golf. Seve won showing all his charisma and passion, especially on the last hole when after holing a 6 meter putt for a birdie, he performed his now famous fist punching victory ritual that was to become the iconic moment in his career and one of the most famous pictures in golf. His third Open Championship came in 1988 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
Seve is widely regarded as the reason for changing the history of the Ryder Cup and making it one of the most famous sporting events in the world today. Because of Seve the event changed from USA v British & Irish players to USA v Continental European players. In 1979 Seve and Antonio Garrido were the first continental players allowed into the team which from then represented all of Europe. He represented Europe in nine editions of the Ryder Cup, eight as a player and once as the Captain.
In 1983 the US team won by only one point at home, and in 1985 Europe won after a 28 year of drought. It was in 1987 at Muirfield Village when they beat the Americans on their home soil, that Captain Tony Jacklin paired Seve with José María Olazabal creating probably the best pairing in golf history. In 1995 Seve played his last Ryder Cup at Oak Hill, and in 1997 he realised one of his dreams when the Ryder Cup was held for the first time outside British Isles in Valderrama, in Spain where he captained the winning team.
Throughout his life many awards and important decorations were bestowed upon him: Medalla de Oro al Mérito Deportivo in Spain (1980), Príncipe de Asturias de los Deportes (1989), Gran Cruz de la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo (1993), Olympic Order of Merit (1998), Hijo Predilecto de Cantabria (1999), World Golf Hall of Fame (1999), Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of St. Andrews (2000), Spanish Athlete of the Century (2000), Honorary Ambassador of the Brand Spain (2004), BBC Sports Personality of the Year (2009).
On October 5th 2008, he was diagnosed a brain tumour. On May 7th, 2011 Seve died at his home in Pedreña, his birthplace.
Seve always said that the most exciting moment in his life was when his eldest son, Javier, caddied for him at The Open Championship in 2006. His three children: Javier, Miguel and Carmen are now in charge of his legacy and keeping his memory alive.
Seve
And to think he graduated out of the caddie yard of Pedreña Golf Club to become the great Champion he was on the grandest stages around the world, is still electrifying, inspiring, memorable and unforgettable.
Seve, son of Baldomero Ballesteros and Carmen Sota, was born on April 9th, 1957 in the small fisherman’s village of Pedreña, on the southern side of the Bay of Santander in northern Spain. This area has one of the greatest golfing traditions in Continental Europe. With this background, an impressive natural talent, and his determination and hard work, Seve learned to play golf using a 3 iron that his brother Manuel gave him, and developed a huge variety of shots playing on the local beach.
At the age of ten, he took part in his first caddy tournament. He recorded a score of 51 over 9 holes at Pedreña Golf Club, starting with a 10 on the first hole – a par 3. The following year, he finished second with 42.At the age of 12 he played the full 18 holes and won the event with a score of 79. His progress from then was rapid – at 13 he shot a 65. Seve was not often allowed to play much on the local Royal Pedreña Golf Club so most of his early golf was played on the beach and when he climbed over the wall in Pedreña to play the course on moonlit nights.
He turned professional on March 22nd, 1974 just short of his 17th birthday and announced his retirement on July 16th, 2007 at the age of 50, during the The Open Championship. His career achievements include 93 tournament victories including five Majors; The Open Championship in 1979, 1984 and 1988; Masters Tournament 1980 and 1983. He won five World Match-Plays, two World Cups and played in nine Ryder Cups Matches. In 1974 he finished twentieth in his first pro event, the Spanish Professionals Championship at San Cugat. He was disappointed as he expected to win. Shortly after that he won his first Under-25 Spanish Championship in Pedreña. In his early years playing abroad he had the support of his friend, Doctor Cesar Campuzano.
The 1976 Open Championship where he finished second to Johnny Miller, sharing the honour with Jack Nicklaus, was where Seve introduced himself to the world stage. He hit the headlines for three days for his dashing good looks, ingenious shotmaking and courageous play that ended with a daring pitch and run chip shot on the 72nd hole for a birdie that was seen all over the world. That year he won the Order of Merit in Europe with victories at the Dutch Open and Trophy Lancome, catching Arnold Palmer from 4 shots behind with nine holes to go. He also won the World Cup of Golf team event in California with Manuel Piñero for Spain. In 1977 he again won the European Order of Merit and in 1978 his wins in USA, Kenya and Japan turned him into an international star. He won six consecutive tournaments in four continents, a feat unmatched for many years. By the age of 20 he had already won golf tournaments on five continents.
He lived to put all of the raging energy, speed, and physical and psychological power in every shot. Everyone knew it. This is what electrified everyone’s emotional gravity and attraction to follow him into the war of competition, which only he could electrify with an entertainment that is still alive in people’s imagination and memory banks thirty to forty years later.
Of the five Majors he won the first was The Open Championship in 1979. He was the youngest winner in the 20th century. He stunned the golfing world at 23 in 1980 by leading the Masters Tournament by 10 shots with 9 holes to go, reeling off 23 birdies and an eagle. He was the first European and only the second foreigner to win the coveted the Green Jacket. In 1983 Seve captured his second Masters title with an astonishing start in the last round: birdie, eagle, par, birdie. The 1984 Open Championship was held at St. Andrews, the iconic and historic Home of Golf. Seve won showing all his charisma and passion, especially on the last hole when after holing a 6 meter putt for a birdie, he performed his now famous fist punching victory ritual that was to become the iconic moment in his career and one of the most famous pictures in golf. His third Open Championship came in 1988 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
Seve is widely regarded as the reason for changing the history of the Ryder Cup and making it one of the most famous sporting events in the world today. Because of Seve the event changed from USA v British & Irish players to USA v Continental European players. In 1979 Seve and Antonio Garrido were the first continental players allowed into the team which from then represented all of Europe. He represented Europe in nine editions of the Ryder Cup, eight as a player and once as the Captain.
In 1983 the US team won by only one point at home, and in 1985 Europe won after a 28 year of drought. It was in 1987 at Muirfield Village when they beat the Americans on their home soil, that Captain Tony Jacklin paired Seve with José María Olazabal creating probably the best pairing in golf history. In 1995 Seve played his last Ryder Cup at Oak Hill, and in 1997 he realised one of his dreams when the Ryder Cup was held for the first time outside British Isles in Valderrama, in Spain where he captained the winning team.
Throughout his life many awards and important decorations were bestowed upon him: Medalla de Oro al Mérito Deportivo in Spain (1980), Príncipe de Asturias de los Deportes (1989), Gran Cruz de la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo (1993), Olympic Order of Merit (1998), Hijo Predilecto de Cantabria (1999), World Golf Hall of Fame (1999), Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of St. Andrews (2000), Spanish Athlete of the Century (2000), Honorary Ambassador of the Brand Spain (2004), BBC Sports Personality of the Year (2009).
On October 5th 2008, he was diagnosed a brain tumour. On May 7th, 2011 Seve died at his home in Pedreña, his birthplace.
Seve always said that the most exciting moment in his life was when his eldest son, Javier, caddied for him at The Open Championship in 2006. His three children: Javier, Miguel and Carmen are now in charge of his legacy and keeping his memory alive.
