Seve Ballesteros

Severiano " Seve " Ballesteros ( born April 9, 1957 in Pedreña, Cantabria, † May 7, 2011 ) was a Spanish professional golfer. He is one of the "Big Five", a group of world class golfers, all born within twelve months, won at least one Major and Europe have made competitive in the Ryder Cup. The others are Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam.

Life and origin

Ballesteros grew up in modest circumstances in rural northern Spain. His father was a farm worker who worked in the fields in the vicinity of the golf club. With seven years Ballesteros started with the game of golf and thus followed the example of his older brother Manuel. At first he had only one bat, a truncated iron 3 He practiced all kinds of beats, even from difficult situations. Only when his talent was recognized, he was given the opportunity to play on the private club near his hometown.

Success as a professional

At the age of 17 years, Ballesteros was professional and made fast a stir: In 1976 he was at the British Open along with Jack Nicklaus second behind Johnny Miller. Among his more than 70 professional tournament victories are three Open Championship (1979, 1984 and 1988) and two Masters victories (1980 and 1983). In the Ryder Cup, he played eight times and 1997 ( Valderrama ), he was non -playing captain of the victorious European team.

For his career, he received numerous awards ( Golfer of the Year ), he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999 and 2000, he was elected to the European Player of the Century and Deportista Español del Siglo. He has received an honorary doctorate from the University of St Andrews and a key city of Augusta.

Ballesteros Seve Trophy has launched a match between Great Britain and continental Europe, modeled after the Ryder Cup. In addition, he has designed or redesigned several golf courses, such as the old plan - Bramois course at Golf - Club Crans -sur- Sierre, which was named after him in the succession.

In 2007, he announced his official retirement from professional tournament happening after constant back pain had already years earlier prevented regular participation it. In October 2008, a brain tumor was diagnosed with Ballesteros in an investigation into the La Paz Hospital in Madrid. On 25 June 2009 Ballesteros announced that he had beaten the cancer and vorkomme him everything as a miracle. In the early morning of May 7, 2011 Ballesteros died in his hometown but his illness. He leaves behind three children.

Characteristic of play

Over his entire career were long, straight haircuts with the Driver never his forte. Salient examples of the British Open in 1979. On the narrow space at Royal Lytham, known for narrow fairways and high rough, he met throughout the four rounds, only eight times with the tee the fairway. Through his outstanding short game, his creativity and his courage he resembled this weakness from coming back. The said British Open in 1979 made ​​him at the age of 22 years as " Parking Champion " famous. On the third to last hole of the tournament he clipped the tee about 25 meters to the right of the parking lot for the TV crews. The blow from there to the green and the subsequent putt for birdie allowed his first major victory. A connection between the beginnings of his game is Florian main manufactures in the world:

" Ballesteros, who grew up in the poor conditions of the Franco dictatorship, had the golfing learned on the beach in Cantabria, not on the cherished lawn of a precious clubs - and so he played well: unconventional, imaginative, so compelling as none before him and none thereafter. "