European Tour to organize Ole Seve Pro-Am charity before the BMW PGA Champioship at Wentworth
European Tour, in an attempt to pay tribute to golf’s great European legend Seve Ballesteros, has decided to hold a tournament at Wentworth Golf Club on Monday, May 23rd. The Ole Seve! Pro-Am will not only pay homage to the life of the player,
but the returns of the event will go straight to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation (SBF), a non-profit organization carrying out leading research in brain tumour, of which Ballesteros himself fell a victim of. Some of the big guns of the sport have committed
to be part of the field of the event, including six major champions.
The Ole Seve Pro-Am is designated as an invitational event by the European Tour management and the planning for the same has been in the pipeline for many a months. The management made the final decision after Ballesteros' sad demise on May 7th
to honour the five-major winner and Europe’s former Ryder Cup captain.
The tournament will be on the footings of shotgun Pro-Am, comprising of 22 teams from both professional circuit as well as the Amateur. The big wigs of the field will constitute Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen, Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell
and Ballesteros’s soul-mate, Jose Maria Olazabal.
The tournament is set at a date just preceding the BMW PGA Championship scheduled from May 26-29 and most of the participants will appreciate a practice round at Wentworth before heading into the €4,500,000 event, which is also scheduled at Wentworth Surrey.
The course will be open to general public and anyone can have access to the sprawling fairways and greens from behind the ropes for a minor contribution of £5.
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said, “Seve was the inspiration behind the European Tour.”He cut a dashing and imposing figure and fought illness with the same flair, passion, courage and willpower that he displayed on golf courses
the world over. Ole Seve! is a fitting platform from which to raise considerable funds aimed to combat cancer.”
Olazabal, the long time compatriot of Ballesteros and his Ryder Cup teammate, will lead the event as the designated host while the event will be followed by an evening reception and prize giving. Players will also place their personnel belongings for auctions
with the returns going to the SBF. The foundation has been working in collaboration with the Cancer Research UK, raising awareness and funds for future programmes.
The second round of the BMW PGA Championship on Friday May 27th, interestingly, is also the 20th anniversary of Ballesteros’ second PGA Champioship win of 1991. Ballesteros overtook Colin Montgomerie in the final round on a Playoff
hole.
The players are encouraged to wear Navy blue to mark Ballesteros victory in 1991 when he wore the same colour. The colour has stuck with Ballesteros, taking after his famed photograph of holding the trophy of the The Open at St. Andrews in 1984.
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