Golf: Seve Ballesteros happy for new captain Jose Maria
Olazabal
Seve Ballesteros has expressed his delight at the appointment of Jose Maria Olazabal as the new captain of the European Ryder Cup squad.
The five-time major winner Ballesteros spoke to the press after Olazabal was nominated as the next captain of Ryder Cup, which is a team event that takes place after every two years.
He said, “Today is a happy day for me. A wonderful announcement for European golf and one of the best news to start 2011. It goes without saying that Jose Maria's election is the right one because we will have a great leader heading a fantastic group of
players. I suppose that it will be very difficult for me to be in the United States and witness the captaincy of my dear friend, but I hope to watch it on TV and see his success.”
The Spanish duo shares a strong background in Ryder Cup. They started their Ryder Cup debut in 1987, teamed up for 11 victorious team events and lost only twice. Owing to this strong compatibility, Olazabal perceives Ballesteros as his mentor.
However, owing to the brain tumour, Ballesteros had to pull out of competitive golf, but that did not put a stop to his contribution for the sport. In 2000, he started the Seve Trophy, which was an event similar to Ryder Cup.
Looking at his experience, Colin Montgomerie, the captain of 2010 Ryder Cup squad nominated his name as the next leader alongside Olazabal. Since Ballesteros was unable to accept the honour because of his health, Olazabal was handed over the reigns.
The nominated captain might be successful, but he gives the credit of his victories to the man who taught him the essence of team events.
Olazabal once commented on his compatriot and said, “Seve was the biggest inspiration for me without a doubt. I did not know what the Ryder Cup was all about before going to Muirfield Village. He took me under the wing - I saw the way he fought until the
end and his passion for winning. It is something I have carried on, or at least I have tried to keep with me.”
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