Spotlight On Seve: F M DE ND Host
Spotlight On Seve: F M DE ND Host
Spotlight On Seve: F M DE ND Host
Spotlight on Seve
I
FIRST MET SEVE BALLESTEROS IN 1976, when this enormously talented, 19-year-old Spaniard made a
name for himself at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale. Although Johnny Miller won the Open that year,
Seve and I tied for second. At the time, I didn’t know much about him, but from that tournament on, Seve
became a force in the game and the entire golf world soon became enamored with Seve.
His record, which includes five major championships, speaks for itself. Beyond his record, though, Seve has
earned a global reputation as a charismatic figure who brought great flare to the game. It is this rare combination that
is among the many reasons why he is this year’s Memorial Tournament Honoree.
I have always had great respect for Seve’s ability, how he played the game, how he brought excitement to our sport,
and how he achieved such success. I think John Huggan’s profile of Seve in these pages provides great insight on Seve’s
life and accomplishments. It was his creativity, his imagination, his competitiveness, and his desire to compete that made
him so popular not only in Europe but around the world. He was a great entertainer.
I think where Seve made his biggest contribution to golf was through the
Ryder Cup, both as a player and a captain. He was one of the most passionate
Ryder Cup players to compete in the matches. He was Europe’s emotional and
spiritual leader, and his teammates rallied around him. The Ryder Cup was some-
thing that was very special to Seve, and it showed.
He is a great champion and friend, and I am so pleased that he is being
honored this week. It is also a bittersweet time because Seve has been waging a
courageous battle against cancer. As this magazine was going to press, I did not
know if Seve would be up to joining us here at Muirfield Village. We hope he will
be here, so that he can enjoy this honor and we can enjoy his company. But
should he remain at home in Spain, we want Seve to know he is in our thoughts
and prayers, and all of us, including the many patrons who will surround the
stage during the Honoree Ceremony, send our most heartfelt best wishes.
As well as honoring exceptional figures in golf, the Memorial Tournament
also recognizes members of the media. This year’s recipient of “the Memorial
Golf Journalism Award” is Ron Green, who has been a well-respected sports
writer in Charlotte, N.C., for 50-plus years. Ron and his son, Ron Green, Jr.
(whose shared love for sports and journalism led him to follow in his father’s
footsteps), have covered a combined 83 Masters Tournaments.
Once again I would like to thank Morgan Stanley for its presenting sponsorship, and for giving the millions of
people who make up our global television audience the opportunity to enjoy what the thousands of faithful patrons and
volunteers of the Memorial are fortunate to enjoy in person. And, of course, I want to thank the players for their
continued support of this event. Their participation along with the above ensures that we will raise significant funds for
worthy charitable causes in Central Ohio—most importantly, Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Each year, I look forward to being “home” and sharing this week with all of you who come out and support
“the Memorial.” We are proud of the traditions we have started, and we will continue to work hard to make “the Memorial”
a great experience for all.
Thank you and have a great week.
JACK NICKLAUS
Founder and Host,
the Memorial Tournament
18 THE MEMORIAL
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“THE COOLEST
GOLFER EVER” Scintillating skills and charismatic chutzpah marked the iconic career
of Europe’s trailblazing star, Severiano Ballesteros
B Y J O H N H U G G A N
I
T IS LATE MARCH 1974, and Manuel Piñero has just won the Spanish National Professional
Championship at the Sant Cugat Club in Barcelona. Celebrating afterwards with compatriot and
future Ryder Cup teammate Antonio Garrido, Piñero is asked if he has seen anything of the young-
ster who finished 20th, a remarkable 16-year-old from the small fishing village of Pedreña on
Spain’s windswept northern coast. He has not. But, curiosity piqued, Piñero goes in search of the
youngster to congratulate him on a fine performance in what was his professional debut.
He doesn’t have to look long or far. Cup for Spain in 1976. “He was the first golfer in our coun-
“He was sitting quite near me behind a high row of lock- try to be known to everyone. But the Spanish people still
ers. And he was crying,” Piñero, smiling, recalls. “I asked him don’t understand how great he was. I’m not sure they ever
what was wrong, and he told me he had come to win the tour- will. It is a shame. He is much more famous in places like
OPPOSITE PAGE AND ABOVE: AUGUSTA NATIONAL/GETTY IMAGES
nament, and he had failed. He expected to win! That was the Scotland. But in my opinion he is one of the top three
first sign for me that Seve Ballesteros was special.” Spanish sportsmen of all time.
Since that far-off day many other adjectives have been “It wasn’t just the tournaments he won. It was the way he
applied to a man who, through a combination of sheer force of won and the way he played. You couldn’t take your eyes off him.”
will and unquestionable talent, became the most important Piñero speaks the truth. Even long before he became a
and historically significant European golfer to emerge since star, Seve Ballesteros had a presence all his own, and it is
World War II. because of his presence, his charisma, his ebullience and bril-
Genius. Gifted. Charismatic. Wayward. Dashing. liance on the golf course, and the proud and dignified way he
Unorthodox. Maddening. When it comes to Seve, everyone has battled cancer in recent years that Severiano Ballesteros is
has an opinion. the 2010 Memorial Tournament Honoree.
“He is one of those players we were all lucky to see,” “I played with Seve in an under-25s championship when
continues Piñero, with whom Seve would win the World he was 17,” recalls former European Tour player and now Sky
46 THE MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL HONOREE SEVE BALLESTEROS
Television commentator, Ewen Murray. “He was as a 14-year old, that Ballesteros finally drew a line Opposite: The first of
wearing a pair of brown and white shoes that under a career that, between his maiden victory at Seve Ballesteros’ Open
were not very clean. And he had only nine clubs the 1976 Dutch Open and his last, the ’95 Championship wins, at
in his bag. I honestly thought he was a caddie. Spanish Open, produced a record 50 European Royal Lytham & St.
“Three holes into our round, my initial Tour victories. Around the world he won a further Annes in 1979.
impression had changed more than a bit. For one 33 times more, including five World Match Play
thing, nine clubs was actually more than he titles at Wentworth, near London. He played in Below: Ballesteros
needed. And for another, once he got around the eight Ryder Cups for Europe, finishing on the win-
waves to the crowd as
greens, I knew I was in the company of a genius.” ning side three times. And, most impressively, he
he walks up the 18th
The same was true at the opposite end of his finished first in five major championships: three
fairway at Royal Lytham
competitive golfing life. For all that the last few Opens and two Masters.
& St. Annes in ’79 on
years of Ballesteros’ time on tour were in stark “My brother Baldomero says that my best golf-
ing years were from 14-18 years old,” Ballesteros the way to claiming his
contrast to the earlier glories—between 1976
and 1992 he was never out of the top 20 on the says frankly. “But I think that my best game lasted first major title.
European Order of Merit; between 1996 and between 1975 and 1988. Thereafter, I competed
2001 he was never inside the top 100—those with a game based on experience and determina- Below inset: Brothers
around him still recognized his greatness. tion. But the mental coolness had diminished. in arms: Ballesteros
“I only played with Seve once, near the end of When that happens, the game suffers.” breaks down in the
his career, in the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo Mere statistics do not begin to sum up the arms of his eldest
in Spain,” says former U.S. Open champion Geoff overall contribution of a man who lifted Old brother, Baldomero,
Ogilvy. “I never used to watch him hit balls on the World golf onto his perennially aching back and after winning his first
range, but whenever he went to the chipping carried it to what amounted to the Promised Open Championship.
green, I went with him. Just to watch. For me, he Land. It wasn’t so much that he was a trailblaz-
is maybe the most talented player ever. er for a new generation of truly
“My first memory of him is the chip he hit to world-class European players. He
the 18th green at Lytham in 1988 when he won his was. It wasn’t so much that he
third Open. I must have watched that shot 1,000 went to America and won against
times. It’s the best chip I’ve ever seen. And it still the very best. He did. It wasn’t
looks like it is going in every time I watch it.” even that he almost single-hand-
It was at Carnoustie, Scotland, during the edly resurrected the Ryder Cup
2007 Open Championship, racked with pain from as a living breathing golfing
a back he first injured in a friendly boxing match entity. He did that, too.
INSET: ROLLS PRESS/POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES
RIGHT: BOB THOMAS/GETTY IMAGES
OPPOSITE: STEVE POWELL/ALLSPORT
THE MEMORIAL 49
MEMORIAL HONOREE SEVE BALLESTEROS
Right: Ballesteros at
the 1980 Masters
Tournament at Augusta
National Golf Club.
50 THE MEMORIAL
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MEMORIAL HONOREE SEVE BALLESTEROS
had ever won the Masters. At the pinnacle of the set up one last birdie and tie Jack Nicklaus for
sport, golf was America’s game. second place. Far away at home in Dallas, no less
But Seve changed all that. While others came a shot maker than Lee Trevino leapt whooping
along to emulate his feats—Sandy Lyle, Nick from his chair in instinctive tribute.
Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and José “It was Seve’s driver that killed him,” Miller
María Olazábal would all win Grand Slam events said in the aftermath of that championship. “I
52 THE MEMORIAL
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really think that if he could have contained him- The 3-wood Seve struck from a distant fairway
self and used a 1-iron he might have won. But bunker to the edge of the final green at PGA
the best thing for Seve today was that he finished National during the 1983 Ryder Cup remains the
second. His day will come.” greatest shot Jack Nicklaus, the game’s greatest
And it did, all too quickly. Three tourna- ever player, ever saw. As accolades go, that is
ments later, Ballesteros—the youngest of four hard to beat.
Below: At the 1983 brothers, all golf professionals—became the Perhaps Seve’s most famous shot, however,
Masters, Ballesteros Dutch Open champion. is one that is still talked of in hushed tones
watches his chip shot. It is not, however, for mere victories that around the European Tour. It came at Crans-
Ballesteros is remembered with unmatched sur-Sierre in Switzerland during the 1993
affection by those he played with and against European Masters.
Below right: Ballesteros over the course of a 33-year professional career. “Seve was four shots behind with six holes
wearing the green Everyone, it seems, has a Seve story that begins to play,” recalls Billy Foster, his caddie that
jacket after capturing with, “you won’t believe what he did,” or “it was week. “Then, after making five birdies in a row
the 1983 Masters, his amazing,” or “it was a shot I could never hit, or from the 13th, he smashed his tee shot miles to
second win at Augusta even imagine hitting.” the right at the last. When we found his ball, it
in four starts. Even the Golden Bear has been impressed. was about 6 feet from an 8-foot-high wall that
bordered a swimming pool. He was deep in the
trees and had only half a backswing because of
a branch. And there were more trees all over
the top of the wall.
“So he gets down on his hands and knees
and sees a gap. It was maybe 2 square feet. ‘Billy,’
he said, ‘I have this shot, eh?’
“I, of course, was having none of it. ‘Seve,’ I
said, ‘you’re tied for the lead. Chip out sideways
and try to make a par from there.’
“I was wasting my breath. ‘No, no, Billy, I
have this shot,’ he said, before waving me away.
So I left him. As I walked away I told him: ‘I
know you’re Seve Ballesteros, but you’re not
bloody David Copperfield.’
“The thing is, he didn’t even use his sand
wedge, his most lofted club. (Seve never used a
lob wedge.) He pulled out his pitching wedge
and, sure enough, hit it through the gap, over the
wall, over some 8-foot pine trees near the green
54 THE MEMORIAL
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56 THE MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL HONOREE SEVE BALLESTEROS
was, the shot from the fairway was very difficult. Left: Ballesteros’ final
But from where Seve was, the approach was putt clinched the
easy. He knew exactly what he was doing.” European Team’s
Still, for all that Ballesteros eventually victory over Team USA
achieved, it can perhaps be summed up best by in the 1987 Ryder Cup
the passion he brought to the Ryder Cup. His held at Muirfield Village
partnership with compatriot Olazábal alone is Golf Club.
the stuff of legend. In 15 matches together, the
two amigos combined for 12 points, losing only
Below: Bernhard
twice. But it is Seve’s singles match with Tom
Langer, Sandy Lyle and
Lehman at Oak Hill in 1995 that lingers most
in the memory. Ballesteros with the
Armed with a long game he himself Ryder Cup trophy the
described as “hopeless,” Ballesteros demon- Europeans won in
strated every facet of his peerless short game in 1985 at The Belfry,
extending the contest—what would end up to ending the Americans’
be his last as a Ryder Cup player—as far as the winning streak dating
16th green. Time and again he turned three back to 1971.
shots into two and secured the unlikeliest of
halves and, through it all, never lost his sense
of humor.
Walking up the 10th fairway that day, Seve
was approached by European skipper Bernard
Gallacher. “Seve,” asked the Scot, “why are you
58 THE MEMORIAL
MEMORIAL HONOREE SEVE BALLESTEROS
Right: Ballesteros
meets with the media
in Madrid, Spain, in
June of last year. It
was the first time he
appeared in public
since undergoing
surgery for a brain
tumor after it was
discovered in
October 2008.
AP PHOTO/VICTOR R. CAIVANO
60 THE MEMORIAL
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62 THE MEMORIAL
OTHER VICTORIES (continued)
Dunlop Phoenix
Suntory World Match Play Championship
1982 Suntory World Match Play Championship
Masters de San Remo
1983 Million Dollar Challenge
1984 Million Dollar Challenge
Suntory World Match Play Championship
1985 Suntory World Match Play Championship
Campeonato de España-Codorniu
1987 APG Larios
Campeonato de España Para Profesionales
1988 VISA Taiheiyo Masters
APG Larios
1991 Chunichi Crowns Open
Toyota World Match Play Championship
1992 Copa Quinto Lentenario per Equipos
1995 Tournoi Perrier de Paris (with José María
Olazábal)