Seve Ballesteros turned pro in 1974 and retired in 2007.  He passed away on Saturday morning 7th May 2011 aged 54, after losing his battle with a malignant brain tumour that was first diagnosed in 2008.

He burst onto the golf scene in 1976 when he finished second at the British Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. He went on to win his first Open Championship in 1979.

In all, Seve Ballesteros won five major championships – The Masters in 1980 and 1983, and The Open Championship in 1979, 1984 and 1988.  He was also a major success in the Ryder Cup, helping the European team to five wins both as a player and captain.  Seve also won the World Match Play Championship a record-tying five times before being forced into early retirement due to on-going back problems; and in 1999, Ballesteros was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

But more than his victories, Seve Ballesteros changed a stuffy game in the mid-1970’s with his young enthusiasm, panache, style and film-star looks more than any other golfer.  Seve Ballesteros helped changed golf forever and pathed the way for young players and golf fashion that has helped revolutionise the sport in the past 30 years.

Growing up in the 1970’s I didn’t play or watch golf but knew Seve Ballesteros as one of the world’s most famous sportsmen of his generation.  Similar to the way that Tiger woods is known the world over today, ask a non-golf enthusiast to name one golfer from the mid-1970’s onwards and the majority of Europeans would have answered ‘Seve Ballesteros’.  His infectious smile, bubbly personality and the fact that he was very human, often hitting wayward shots only to pull off some amazing recoveries, made Seve Ballesteros a favourite with anyone that watched or played with him.

“I’d like to see the fairways more narrow. Then everyone would have to play from the rough, not just me.” – Seve Ballesteros

On hearing the news at the weekend, current World number 1 golfer Lee Westwood tweeted: ‘It’s a sad day. Lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today. RIP Seve.’

Seve Ballesteros R.I.P.

seve ballesteros

Seve Ballesteros is among 32 former champions who have been invited to take part in a four hole tournament as part of the 150th Open anniversary celebrations on the eve of the Championship proper.

Ballesteros who has made a remarkable recovery from the four operations to remove a brain tumor diagnosed in 2008, stated last year that he would love to make a return to the British Open that takes place this year at St Andrews, in July.

Among the other former champions who have been invited to take place in the four hole tournament are Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Nick Faldo.

The tournament will take place on the first, second, 17th and 18th holes on the old course on July 14th. Ballesteros won the second of his three Open Championships on the St Andrews course in 1984.

Spanish Golf Federation president Gonzaga Escauriaza said that Ballesteros is doing well , he started playing again last summer but radiotherapy and chemotherapy had weakened him. Now he his getting better and better and would love to be on the first tee for the four hole tournament, adding “He will probably be there.”

lee westwood award winner

While the unfortunate Tiger Woods saga fills the gossip pages, Lee Westwood has been hogging the golfing headlines. A week after winning the European Tour’s Golfer of the Year award for the third time the world number four walked away with The Golf Writers Trophy, also for a third time.

Seve Ballesteros is the only previous player to win the Golf Writers Trophy three times, so Westwood is in illustrious company and he said after collecting the award;

“I am delighted to receive the award once again. It is a particular honour to have been chosen for the third time and to become one of only two players, alongside Seve, to have won it three times. That means an awful lot to me, especially when I consider the great players we have had on the European Tour. It is Seve who stands out in my mind for his record and his charisma and to be linked with such a great champion makes the award all the more special.

I would also like to mention Catriona Matthew. She would have been worthy of the award considering what she achieved this year. To have won the Women’s British Open just weeks after giving birth to her second child was a spectacular achievement. I have no idea how she managed it”

Catriona Matthew was runner up to Westwood for the Golf Writers Trophy and was followed by the young Irishman Rory McIlroy in third place. McIlroy had further reason to celebrate with news that he has achieved the highest world ranking of any 20 year old ever when he moved up to ninth place in the list.

paul mcginley

The Britain and Ireland team go into this week’s Vivendi Trophy in Paris as underdogs following the withdrawal of some of their top players including four the highest ranked players Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter.

The Britian and Ireland team will also be missing Luke Donald and Justin Rose, while the European team will be without Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer.

Regardless of the withdrawals from the Vivendi Trophy, formerly the Seve Trophy, eighteen of the twenty players on show are among the top 100 golfers in the world. Steve Webster and Robert Rock on the British team are the only players outside of the current hundred best.

Britain and Ireland have beaten Continental Europe for the last four years in a row, but captain Paul McGinley will have his work cut out this year as the European team will start as firm favourites.

Britain’s Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie will be in Paris to assess the candidates for his team for next year, but Seve Ballesteros is unlikely to be fit to travel to Paris as he is still on his recovery programme following a brain tumour.

seve ballesteros

There is growing speculation as to whether Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros will make it to this month’s Vivendi Trophy in Paris, as the former World number one is still undergoing radiotherapy treatment following a brain tumour diagnosed in October last year.

A Britain and Ireland team captained by Paul McGinley are due to defend what used to be called the Seve Trophy against Continental Europe led by Thomas Bjorn at St Nom la Breteche on September 24-27.

Seve’s nephew Ivan Ballesteros has said that a decision will be made based on doctors suggestions nearer the time by right now it is difficult to say if Seve will be in good enough condition to travel.

The line up for the Paris event is also yet to be confirmed, as several of the top elegible players are currently involved in the USA FedEx Cup play off’s and hoping to make it into the Tour Championship during the same week.