Severiano Ballesteros, the pride of Pedrena, Spain, passed away early Saturday morning at the age of 54, after losing his long battle with brain cancer. The world lost a great golfing legend and one of the most charismatic personalities in all of professional sports.
Watching Ballesteros as a youngster breaking into the world golf scene, fans were awed by the seemingly impossible shots that Ballesteros continually pulled off after getting himself in trouble. His ability to make greatness out of garbage was one of the hallmarks of his game.
When Ballesteros won his first major at the 1979 British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, he deliberately hit a ball into a parking lot on the 16th hole on the final round to take advantage of the prevailing winds that day, then hit a sand wedge to within 20 feet of the hole.
Seve went on to birdie the hole and won the Open by three shots, beating the best golfer in the world, Jack Nicklaus.
But that shot was just the beginning of what would become known as legend. Back in 1985, Ben Crenshaw told Sports Illustrated, “I think he comes as close to a complete player as anybody I’ve ever seen. He can hit every shot in the bag and do it with the style and look of a champion.”
Ballesteros would go on to win the British Open two more times, in 1984 and 1988, and captured the Masters twice, in 1980 and 1983. His Masters title in 1980 marked the first time that event had been won by a European, and he was the youngest at the time ever to win the event at 23 (Tiger Woods later won the Masters in 1997 at the age of 21).
Ballesteros also sparkled in match play events, winning the World Match Play Championship five times and competed in eight Ryder Cup matches, winning 21.5 points in his 37 matches overall.
His style of play, along with his charismatic personality, made Ballesteros a made-for-TV athlete, capturing the imagination of fans worldwide.
In no particular order, here is a list of 10 specific golf shots that defined the game of Seve Ballesteros and cemented his legacy in the world of golf.
Watching Ballesteros as a youngster breaking into the world golf scene, fans were awed by the seemingly impossible shots that Ballesteros continually pulled off after getting himself in trouble. His ability to make greatness out of garbage was one of the hallmarks of his game.
When Ballesteros won his first major at the 1979 British Open at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, he deliberately hit a ball into a parking lot on the 16th hole on the final round to take advantage of the prevailing winds that day, then hit a sand wedge to within 20 feet of the hole.
Seve went on to birdie the hole and won the Open by three shots, beating the best golfer in the world, Jack Nicklaus.
But that shot was just the beginning of what would become known as legend. Back in 1985, Ben Crenshaw told Sports Illustrated, “I think he comes as close to a complete player as anybody I’ve ever seen. He can hit every shot in the bag and do it with the style and look of a champion.”
Ballesteros would go on to win the British Open two more times, in 1984 and 1988, and captured the Masters twice, in 1980 and 1983. His Masters title in 1980 marked the first time that event had been won by a European, and he was the youngest at the time ever to win the event at 23 (Tiger Woods later won the Masters in 1997 at the age of 21).
Ballesteros also sparkled in match play events, winning the World Match Play Championship five times and competed in eight Ryder Cup matches, winning 21.5 points in his 37 matches overall.
His style of play, along with his charismatic personality, made Ballesteros a made-for-TV athlete, capturing the imagination of fans worldwide.
In no particular order, here is a list of 10 specific golf shots that defined the game of Seve Ballesteros and cemented his legacy in the world of golf.
