Golf will never be the same without Severiano 'Seve' Ballesteros
Severiano Ballesteros’ tragic demise in May, 2011 due to a complication in his prolonged ailment of brain tumour, is undoubtedly golf’s greatest loss in recent times. A legend in himself, Ballesteros lived through an illustrious career with fierce commitment
to his profession and uncharted brilliance. He was one of the most charismatic golfers to have come out of Europe and was very much to European golf, what Arnold Palmer has been to the American.
Ballesteros had been fighting the dreadful tumour for almost three years when he was first diagnosed with the cancer in 2008. He reportedly fainted on the Madrid International Airport in 2008, while boarding a flight to Germany and was shuttled to the hospital
and subsequently diagnosed with a tumour.
The Spaniard was operated four times to remove the cancerous tumour and later underwent chemotherapy for several months. He died at the age of 54 at his home town in Pedrena, north of Spain.
As soon as the news broke in, players from all over the world started paying their homage to the great player and a one-minute silence was observed at all the golf tournaments worldwide to pay tribute to the player and express solidarity with the aggrieved
family.
Ballesteros was often regarded as the soul of European golf. It was none other than Ballesteros himself because of whom the Ryder Cup was extended to include continental Europe in its fold. The European team won the 1987, starting off a two-decade dominance
of Europe breaking unilateral US domination of the cup.
Born on April 9th, 1957, Ballesteros spent most of his time playing golf on the sandy beaches with his only revered possession, a 3-iron. He invented shots with his club which can hardly be imagined. His uncle was also a professional golfer who
garnered Ballesteros’ interest and provided him with invaluable support and guidance that further fueled his passion for the sport.
Ballesteros stunned the world when he won the Dutch Open at the age of 19. He won for a staggering 50 times on the European Tour, five times in the majors and total of 87 titles worldwide including six titles on the Japan Golf Tour. He also successfully
led the Ryder Cup European team to a stellar victory in 1997 when Europe won at Valderrama.
"He invented shots around the green," Jack Nicklaus said in the weeks before Ballesteros was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999. "You don't find many big hitters like him with that kind of imagination and touch around the green."
Ballesteros first broke the headlines when he stunned the players, threading a shot through the bunkers onto the green at 18th hole, finishing tied with Nicklaus when he was just 19-years-old. He won the Masters in 1980 and 1983, US Open in 1987,
the Open Championship in 1979, 1984 and 1988, and the PGA Championship in 1984.
Several of his old friends and compatriots like Miguel Angel Jimenez and José María Olazábal broke into tears at the news of his death. They finished off their engagement with the final rounds of Open De Espana with heavy hearts.
Olazabal has been a teammate of Ballesteros in the Ryder Cup for no less than three times and has won the title on two occasions. For Spaniards, Ballesteros was the pilot, and their ship is left rudder-less with his departure.
Ballesteros almost disappeared from the major tournaments in the beginning of 2000’s after his soaring back pain coupled with other injuries forced him to take a back seat. He looked pale and thin in his appearances in 2009 and rarely ever came out in public
after he fell off the golf cart and injured his head.
It was a terrible moment for his fans when Ballesteros announced his retirement at Carnoustie before the 2007 British Open and while addressing the conference, broke into tears. One of the legends of the sport, Ballesteros will continue to rule the hearts
of his fans for a long time to come.
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