Seve Ballesteros Dies

[Polslad]

Very sad news indeed, one of golfs great champions.

'Seve' Ballesteros was born in Pedrena on April 9, 1957.
He turned pro at age 16 in 1974 and finished second at the British Open at age 19 in 1976.
He went on to win the British Open three times in his career (1979, 1984, and 1988) and twice don the green jacket at Augusta (1980 and 1983).
The former world No. 1 holds the record for the highest number of European Tour victories - 50. He won 87 titles altogether.
One of the best ever match play competitors, Ballesteros helped Europe capture the Ryder Cup four times as a player and captained the team to victory in 1997.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999.
Ballesteros played sparingly in the latter years of his career until his retirement in July 2007 due to chronic back problems.

[LinksLegend]

Very very sad. He was such an inspiration. He was also arguably the single reason GB&I was extended to Europe in the Ryder Cup after a series of thrashings from the US meant the format was in danger of losing relevance. So many of my own memories and also ones from before my time - blazing on to the scene at Birkdale, his 'car park' open, hitting golf shots from his knees, topping a driver 30 yards in to the rough in the Ryder Cup against Azinger in the single singles and still halving the hole in par 4. His imagination and creativity was outrageous, he was one of the greatest natural talents to play the game. His short game never left him either. Even when he lost his driving ability and was shooting in the 80s on the European Tour, he still remained top 10 in putting and saves. He was incredibly charismatic and I think a lot of people will be very sad today.

He was also famously a great manipulator of the rules. I remember a great story when he was playing against Faldo (if memory serves). They'd both hit good drives over the crest of a hill, hugging the trees to the left hand side of the fairway. Faldo got to his ball first which looked to have caught the tree and dropped at the foot of the trunk - almost unplayable, whilst Seve's was further down the fairway. Faldo tried to take a variety of stances to try and hit his ball, but it was simply impossible. He called Seve over and tried to get relief from the position as it looked like some scrapings could arguably be interpreted as rabbit scrapings (which would mean a free drop). However Seve in his Spanish accent said "I'm sorry Neek, but it eez no rabbeet scrapings". Faldo - clearly exasperated at his bad luck said "so is there absolutely no way I can get relief from this position?" Seve said, "no, sorry Neek, I'm afraid not".

"Great then", said Nick, "because this is your ball"

'Legend' is an overused term these days but Seve will be truly unforgettable.

[Robert@]

Defined the what the character of a pro golfer should be... he was already missed,and will be for quite some time.

[Indy Anna Jones]

In the late 80s when my husband-to-be got seriously interested in golf he read some instructional article by Seve in Golf Digest that he was able to apply to his game, and he said that within 2 weeks it took and kept 5 strokes off his game. That really impressed him. Senor B is certainly worthy of carrying the mantle of Europe's greatest in modern times and it seems like he's inspired a lot of young Euro's to elevate their game. RIP Seve.

[pablo]

The most amazing about Seve was becoming one of the greatest in the game from nothing, he grew up in the northern coast of spain, in a days when golf was a game, literally of the social elite of spain, his childhood took place a few hundreds of meters away from Real Club de Golf de Pedreña, where he served as a volunteer caddie, there he learnt how to play golf, and he learnt extremely well. Seve was, in the biggest sense of the word, the pioneer of golf in Spain, and perhaps in continental Europe.

[Pyecraft]

Well spoken Links.
Seve was one of those rare talents, whose natural ability caused a change in his chosen profession. Until Seve, we Europeans had no hope of competing against the super-confident, but rather mechanical Americans of the day, but Seve's swashbuckling play ignited the wonderful golf which followed his lead for the next ten years. Odd, unlikely characters from Langer to Woosnam suddenly believed, and while exciting galleries everywhere, they could now even win across the pond!! This new competition jabbed life into the long, one-sided bore of Ryder Cups, and we have thrilled to the challenge ever since. Seve Ballesteros played with a magical joy but could win: golf never saw his like before, and in my opinion, won't see another like him again.
...just one more reason I dislike the pouting princess called Tiger.

[SteveHorn]

I already posted on Seve's death in the golf section. He will be missed. RIP SEVE