Jul
19
SEVE
July 19, 2007
Seve Ballesteros announced his retirement from competitive golf yesterday, at the site of this year’s British Open, Carnoustie. Seve played his first Open Championship at Carnoustie, in 1975. His, was and is, an amazing story. One of eleven children, he started caddying at age 11, to help support his family. By the time he was 15 years old, he was a scratch player; and owned; one club, a 5 iron. He turned pro at 16 and by the time he was 18 had captured the world’s imagination when he finished 3rd at the 1976 Open.
Seve could play every shot imaginable, and then some, that you would never imagine. He was Da Vinci, with a golf club. A swashbuckler, who played with reckless abandon and an unflappable flair. He was fearless and passionate, tortured and resilient, charismatic and withdrawn. Seve won 5 Major Championships (2 Masters and 3 Open Championships), 51 European Tour events (by far the most in history), and his name became synonymously linked with the Ryder Cup as both a player, and then as a Captain.
In 1995, he “lost” his swing, and although he tried valiantly (and that is a story for another day) to reclaim it, he was never the same. Golf has a way of humbling even the greatest of its proponents, but that in no way, diminishes all the wonderful memories of Seve’s magic, which will be forever embedded in our memories. Seve will always be a hero.
Comments
1 Comment so far
The passing of the torch. Wouldn’t it be ironic, if Sergio Garcia (who grew up idolizing Seve), won his first Major, at Carnoustie this week?