THINKING OF SEVE...

Earlier this month, the golf world was waken with the news that Severiano ("Seve") Ballesteros (pictured in 2000 with daughter Carmen, then 5 years old) had been hospitalized in Spain. Later, it was found out that he is suffering from a brain tumor, and today, it was found out to be cancerous. To many of the younger golfers, "Seve" is only a name, maybe a famous name, but most do not have the slightest idea on how he impacted golf worldwide. At his best, he was part John McEnroe, part Elvis Presley, part Jack Nicklaus, a lot of a rough Arnold Palmer. In the late 70's and early 80's, he put Europe's golf back "on the map". He won 51 times in the European tour, 5 mayor championships, many other events and won the World Match Play at Wentworth 5 times... Once the Ryder Cup included all of Europe, along with Jose Maria Olazabal, they became the winningest team ever, winning 11 matches, losing 2 and tying 2. He was later named European Captain in 1997 when the Ryden Cup was first played outside the United Kingdom, in Seve's backyard at Valderrama. I had the fortune of watching him play "live" during the 1978 Mexican Open, where he had been invited to play by our mutual friend and 1976 World Cup Champion, Ernesto Perez Acosta. During that event and saw two shots that basically characterized his talent and his career: one shot from deep rough from 185 out that most mortals would have barely wedged out, instead, he took a 6-iron, slashed the ball out of there with tremendous power and strength, made the green and then made his putt for birdie; then, on the last day, on the last hole, his second shot went over the green... With the pin tucked on the back of the green, his ball about 20 feet below the surface and about 30 yards past laying on hard pan, facing a shot that had to carry over a stretch of rough 6" high, he clipped the ball perfectly, landing just past the rough, on the fringe and coming to rest only 4 feet for a par save and a tie for 3rd with the host pro (Billy Casper won that tournament and Gay Brewer, a former Masters champion took second). Tremendous strength and power combined with delicate touch and imagination, defined his career and made it an interesting one to follow. His majors included the 1980 (at the time the youngest ever to win the tournament) and 1983 Masters and the 1979, 1984 (above left, on the last hole after beating Tom Watson by one) and 1988 British Opens. The prognosis is not good for the 51 year old and we are awaiting news of a Friday, October 24th 3rd operation in 12 days. Our prayers will be with him and his family. His family and himself have already made some corageous statements of his willingness to fight... it looks like he is 2 down with 3 to go, he overcame that deficit many times, hopefully he does it again.