Remembering Seve

Jack Nicklaus
“Today, golf lost a great champion and a great friend. We also lost a great entertainer and ambassador for our sport. I have always had wonderful respect for Seve’s ability, how he played the game, and the flare he brought to the sport while achieving the success he did. 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. He was a great entertainer. No matter the golf that particular day, you always knew you were going to be entertained. Seve’s enthusiasm was just unmatched by anybody I think that ever played the game. Seve was, without argument, a terrific player -his record speaks for itself- but more important was his influence on the game, especially throughout Europe. Through the years, his involvement with the Ryder Cup, as both a player and captain, served to further elevate the stature of the matches. He was probably the most passionate Ryder Cup player that we’ve ever had”.
Ramón Sota

“Seve had magic in his hands. His bunker shots cannot be described in any other way. I remember the British Open at Royal Lytham Saint Annes where it is said that there are as many bunkers as days in the year. A four day competition, 72 holes, and on every occasion his ball found a bunker he always got it -up and down-. This is something to be seen to believe”.

Nick Faldo

“The Cirque du Soleil is the greatest show I’ve ever seen. It’s passion, artistry, skill, it’s drama. That was Seve. You had to stand back and admire it. I was a fan and so fortunate I had a front-row seat”.

Seve y Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie

“It has been an honour to play with Seve and an honour to play under him as a Captain. 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”.

José María Olazábal

“What impressed most in Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he did. 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. My first memory of Seve goes back to 1983 or 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 1987 edition”.

Phil Mickelson

“Seve was the guy I wanted to play a practice round with the most. When I played my first PGA Tour event in San Diego in 1988, Ernie Gonzales arranged a practice round with him. From that day on, he couldn’t have been nicer to me. We had a great round of golf. He showed me a few things, showed me a few shots. He’s certainly had an impact on the game. But to me the greatest thing about Seve was his flair and charisma. Because of the way he played the game of golf, you were drawn to him. You wanted to go watch him play”.

José Antonio Rozadilla

“Seve worked very hard. I do not know if there has been any other player who has been more regular in his training… He was tireless, he came here and hit balls from dawn to dusk. We played the course many times and though we just played for a tee, a ball or a glove, he had the same determination as in a Major. Playing with him demanded great concentration, we hardly ever spoke during the round, we just played golf. We played together in the Spanish Open in Barcelona and it was a unique experience that I will never forget. Seve has been the greatest. He had an imagination which made him the best. I could not stop watching him to learn from him”.

Seve y Miguel Angel Jimenez
Miguel Ángel 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. I loved to watch him fulfil one of his dreams and enjoy it so much. Seve’s passion for the Ryder Cup was unique”.
Sergio García
“He has inspired me so much throughout my career, and I admired him above all for his fighting spirit – never more so than in the manner in which he has battled this terrible illness. The loss of this great man leaves an enormous void in the world of sport, although he will be remembered and loved forever. He was a champion on the golf course, but also a champion for the game in Spain and in Europe”.
Pau Gasol

“A great athtlete and someone who has been an example of hard work, fighting spirit and a Spanish banner in sport all over the world. He was one of the first to brake down barriers for those of us who came later. It is never late when it is true and for someone like him. Thanks Seve for everything.”

Seve y Manuel Pineiro
Manuel Piñero
“Golf cannot be understood without Severiano Ballesteros nor probably Seve without golf, his life, his passion. In my opinion there have been three legends in the history of golf: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan and Severiano Ballesteros. Each one in his time and his own style, but the three of them essential to understand the development of this sport. Ballesteros was an idol all over the world. No only did they learn to love him in Spain but they also loved him in the British Isles and when he visited Japan people went crazy. Seve made it possible for Europe to compete on equal terms at the Ryder Cup and changed the competition forever. His legacy is in his shots. Nobody like him put his soul on each shot, and this is something he was able to pass on to everyone”.
Ian Poulter
“I will remember his words for the rest of my life. I feel trully honoured to have been able to get to know Seve and called him a friend. To play golf with him and watch him and learn from a true genius”.
George O’Grady
“It is 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”.
Rafa Nadal
“It’s a sad day in general for Spain, for the world of sport. I think that he was one of the best golf players in history. He was one of the best athletes that this country has ever had. He was a pioneer. He was one of the first big athletes that we have had in Spain. I had the chance of playing 18 holes with him and it’s an unforgettable memory”.
Miguel Indurain
“It is an enormous loss for international sport. He always lived his career with great passion”.
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. I have never seen anyone who has had a better short game than him. I always enjoyed spending time with him at the Champions Dinner at the Masters”.
Pablo Larrazábal
“He was very emotional and played with passion. You have to put things into perspective to assess all he has done for golf. In some way, he will never die”.
Rory McIlroy
“You could still feel his passion and his verve, not just for the Ryder Cup, but for golf. He was huge. He was very loyal to the European Tour and to Europe. You could still feel his passion for the game”.
Ben Crenshaw
“Seve plays shots I don’t even see in my dreams”.
Lee Trevino
“Every generation or so there emerges a golfer who is a little bit better than anybody else. I believe Ballesteros is one of them. On a golf course he’s got everything. I mean everything: touch, power, know-how, courage and charisma”.
“Perdí a un gran amigo y un gran campeón. Perdimos un gran artista y un embajador de nuestro deporte. Siempre tuve un inmenso respeto por el talento de Seve, su manera de jugar, su brillantez. Su creatividad, imaginación, deseo de ganar que lo hicieron tan popular, no sólo en Europa, sino también en toda América. Su entusiasmo no tenía parangón. Era sin lugar a dudas, un jugador extraordinario, como demuestran sus resultados, pero todavía más importante ha sido su influencia, sobre todo en Europa. Fué el jugador de la Ryder Cup más apasionado que jamás hayamos visto”.
Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
“Seve tenía magia en sus manos, sus salidas de bunker no pueden calificarse de otra manera. Recuerdo el Open Británico en el Royal Lytham Saint Annes, del que dicen que tiene tantos bunkers como días del año. Cuatro días de competición, 72 hoyos y ninguno de esos bunkers hizo salida y dos putts; siempre salida y un putt. Eso es algo que hay que ver para creerlo”.
Ramón Sota
“Día triste. Ahora a Seve le llaman el Circo del Sol del golf. El mayor espectáculo del mundo. Yo era un verdadero fan”.
Nick Faldo
“Para mí ha sido un honor jugar con Seve y estar a su mando como capitán en la Ryder. Ha sido una gran pérdida, hay muy pocos deportistas legendarios en el mundo y Seve es uno de ellos. Nunca he visto tanto talento en un campo de golf y puede que no volvamos a verlo”.
Colin Montgomerie
Colin Montgomerie
“Lo más destacado de Seve era su fuerza, su espíritu de lucha y la pasión que ponía en todo lo que hacía. Hemos perdido a un icono y, a decir verdad, en el mundo del golf, no creo que veamos a otro jugador igual en muchos años. Abrió muchas puertas al golf europeo. Hizo que confiara en mí mismo y en mis aptitudes y aprendí mucho de él. Entrenamos muchas veces juntos y me enseñó una parte importante de lo que sé alrededor de los greenes. Mi primer recuerdo es de los años ’83 y ’84, yo era amateur y me llamó para jugar un match benéfico con él en Pedreña, me sorprendió muchísimo y me hizo una gran ilusión. He vivido tantos momentos con él que no sabría cuál destacar, pero sin duda los más entrañables son los que vivimos juntos en la Ryder Cup, especialmente la del 87, la primera que yo jugué”.
José María Olazábal
“Era con quien más me apetecía siempre jugar las rondas de prácticas, lo hice cuando jugué por primera vez en el PGA Tour en San Diego en 1988. Fué una gran vuelta de golf. Me enseñó algunos golpes. Ha tenido un impacto en el juego evidente, pero para mi lo más grande de Seve fué su aptitud y carisma. Te atraía su forma de jugar y daba golpes que te hacían querer ir a verle”.
Phil Mickelson
“Seve era un grandísimo trabajador. No sé si habrá habido algún otro golfista más constante en sus entrenamientos, en su preparación… Era incansable, venía aquí y daba bolas de sol a sol. Muchas veces recorriamos juntos este campo y aunque sólamente nos jugásemos un tee, una bola o un guante, el ponía el mismo empeño que si fuese un Major. Jugar con él requería una concentración máxima en el partido, eran vueltas en las que apenas nos dirigíamos una palabra, sólo jugábamos al golf. Participamos juntos en el Open de España, disputado en Barcelona, y fue una experiencia única que no olvidaré jamás. Seve ha sido el más grande, tenía una imaginación que le hacían el mejor. Yo no dejaba de mirarle para aprender cosas de él”.
José Antonio Rozadilla
“Lo más destacado de él fue su determinación, su tesón y su pasión por todo lo que hacía. Nunca daba nada por perdido, siempre buscaba un hueco por dónde salir y eso reflejaba su personalidad”.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Miguel Ángel Jiménez
“Siempre admiré muchas cosas de Seve, sobre todo su espíritu de lucha, que volvió a demostrar peleando contra esta terrible enfermedad que se lo ha llevado. Nos ha dejado un gran campeón en el campo y fuera de él”.
Sergio García
“Esta semana nos ha dejado un deportista y una persona que ha sido emblema de trabajo, lucha y bandera del deporte español alrededor del mundo. Uno de los primeros en romper barreras y en abrir la puerta para todos los que hemos venido detrás. Nunca es tarde cuando es con sinceridad y para alguien como él. Gracias por todo Seve. Mucho ánimo para toda su familia”.
Pau Gasol
“El golf no se puede entender sin Severiano Ballesteros, ni seguramente a Seve sin el golf, su vida, su pasión. Para mí han existido tres leyendas en la historia del golf: Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan y Severiano Ballesteros. Cada una en su época y con su estilo, pero las tres imprescindibles para entender la evolución y desarrollo de este deporte. Ballesteros fue un ídolo en todo el planeta. No solo aprendieron a quererle con el tiempo en España, sino que le amaron en las islas británicas y cuando viajaba a Japón desataba una auténtica locura. Seve hizo posible que Europa compitiera de tú a tú en la Copa Ryder y cambió para siempre esta competición. Su legado está en sus golpes. Nadie como él ponía el alma en cada golpe, y eso era capaz de transmitirlo a todo el mundo”.
Manuel Piñero
Manuel Piñero
“Recordaré sus palabras por el resto de mi vida. Me siento realmente honrado de haber podido conocer a Seve y llamarle amigo, de jugar al golf con él y ver y aprender de un verdadero Genio”.
Ian Poulter
“Este es un día muy triste para todos aquellos que aman el golf. El legado único de Seve debe ser la inspiración que dio a todos para ver, apoyar, y jugar al golf, y finalmente para luchar contra una cruel enfermedad con igual facilidad y gran determinación. Severiano Ballesteros fue la inspiración que estuvo detrás del Circuito Europeo”.
George O’Grady
“Fue uno de los mejores jugadores de golf de la historia, un pionero, de los primeros grandes de España. Una persona muy especial con la que tuve la suerte de jugar 18 hoyos un día, y es un recuerdo inolvidable”.
Rafa Nadal
“Es una grandísima pérdida para el deporte internacional. Siempre vivió con gran pasión su profesión”.
Miguel Indurain
“Seve fue uno de los golfistas más emocionantes y con más talento que ha tenido este deporte. Su creatividad e intensidad en un campo de golf puede que nunca sean superadas. No recuerdo a nadie con su juego corto. Siempre disfrutaba de su compañía en la cena de Campeones”.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
“Era muy emocional y jugaba con mucha pasión. Hay que poner las cosas en perspectiva para valorar todo lo que ha hecho por el golf. De alguna manera, nunca morirá”.
Pablo Larrazábal
“Es y siempre será lo que hizo genial el deporte del golf. Una verdadera leyenda en todos los sentidos. Una inspiración para mucha gente”.
Rory McIlroy
“Seve da golpes que yo no puedo visualizar ni siquiera en mis mejores sueños”.
Ben Crenshaw
“En cada generación destaca un golfista que es un poco mejor que los demás, y creo que Ballesteros es uno de ellos. En golf, él tiene todo: toque, poder, saber, valentía y carisma”.
Lee Trevino