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Severiano Ballesteros
Lorrin Golf Home
Biography
“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 – and I mean everything: touch, power, know-how, courage,
and charisma." Lee Trevino, 1999.
Background
Severiano Ballesteros was born on 9 April 1957 in Pedreña, a small village
on the southern shore of the Bay of Santander in the north of Spain. Seve's older
brothers Baldomero, Manuel and Vicente were all professional golfers, as was
his uncle, Ramón Sota, his mother's brother, one of the best golfers in
Europe in the sixties, winner of four Spanish Professionals Championships and
sixth in the 1965 U.S. Masters.
With this background, plus of course, impressive natural talent and his tremendous
love of the game and enthusiasm for work, Seve, with a 3-iron his brother Manuel
had given him as a present, invented a huge variety of shots that bestowed
his game with enormous versatility.
Seve did not have much chance to play at
the Pedreña Golf Club and for
that reason he sharpened his skills mainly on the beach and only on nights
with a full moon did he tiptoe down and play the course. Of course, he was
caught
out more than once and punished for his misbehaviour, which made him think
seriously about his future.
Early Professional Years
Despite these obstacles, on 22 March 1974 he turned professional
(he was not quite 17). The performance, which catapulted him to
world fame when he
came
second in the British Open at Royal Birkdale in 1976, sharing the honours
with Jack
Nicklaus as runners up to Johnny Miller. Seve was leader of the tournament
for the first three days, surprising everybody with a chip that he shot
clean as
a whistle between two bunkers, rolling to little over a metre from the
pin, giving him a birdie on the last hole.
Open and Masters Champion
Seve won his first British Open in 1979, becoming the youngest winner
of the century. His next appearance in a major was at the U.S.
Masters where,
in 1980,
he again amazed everyone. With 9 holes to go he was 10 ahead of the player
in second place.. Seve holed 23 birdies and an eagle. Augusta already
had its winner.
At 23 he became the second non-American and first European to wear the
green jacket.
By then he was already known as one of the longest hitters
in golfing history and his Augusta victory proved that he was
the most complete
player of
the moment. In 1983 Seve conquered his second green jacket. His opening
sequence
of the last
round left the tournament practically sentenced (birdie, eagle, par,
birdie).
In 1984 Seve captured the British Open at St. Andrews in a golfing
moment which will live in he memories of all those lucky enough
to have seen
the final birdie
put disappear and see the resulting ecstasy and joy over the faces
of Seve and of the jubilant crowd.
Seve would also win the 1988 British
Open for a third time at Royal Lytham St. Anne's. With a final round
of 65, Seve was clearly ahead
of his rivals.
Ryder Cup Maestro.
Seve transformed European golf in the 1980’s
through his own individual displays of excellence in addition to
his huge contribution to Europe winning
Ryder Cups in 1985 and for the first time ever on American soil,
in 1987. Seve also lead the 1997 European team to victory over
the Americans in Valerrama – the
first time the event was played outside of the Britsih Isles with
Europe hosting.
His first appearance in 1979 saw him hit the a
3-wood out of a bunker on the final hole to the green side some
220 yards away
to secure
a half in
his match
against Fuzzy Zoeller is still remembered as one of the all tme
shots in the game.
Epilogue
Seve remains one of the greatest golfers of all time, and perhaps
no one has ever equalled the flair and beauty with which he
played the
game.
It is no wonder that 2 times Masters winner Ben Crenshaw
once said “Seve plays shots I don't even see in my dreams! “
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