Gallery: Seve Ballesteros through the lens
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SEVE The Movie is released on June 27, so here we take a look back at some of the iconic Seve images we know and love. No photographer knew Seve as well as Dave Cannon. And no photographer took as many iconic pictures of the Spaniard as Dave Cannon. Here, he tells of his relationship with his hero, in his own words.
No one came close to Seve when it came to golf photography. During my 30 years walking the fairways there have been only three golfers (Seve, Greg Norman and Tiger) who never failed to give me a memorable photograph, each and every day I went out. And Seve was by far the best. With him, it would sometimes be a smile; at others a scowl. Either way, the eyes always told the story.
Seve had an unrivalled passion for the game of golf; a passion I share every day of my life. I miss Seve being around so much as a person, let alone as a subject.
I have so many happy memories of him. My image of him in full flight, in his vivid green trousers is definitely my favourite. For me, it tells you everything you want to know about the man. He had incredible charisma, energy and vitality. He was our answer to Arnie Palmer. He was a swashbuckling risk-taker; and just being close to him sent the heart pounding.
But, I will never forget Crans-sur-Sierre and his shot over the wall. Seve took us to some strange and memorable places and this was one of them; deep in the woods by the 18th green in Switzerland. I was within a few feet of him, lying on my stomach, when he ignored caddie Billy Foster’s advice to chip out sideways. I clearly recall Billy (who now caddies for World No.1 Lee Westwood) muttering as he walked to where I was lying “He’s got no f*****g chance, but I somehow know he will prove me wrong!”
Seve laid the face of his sand wedge wide open and sent the ball almost vertically up over the wall, to the edge of the green. He holed his next shot for the most unbelievable birdie – pure and unthinkable genius.
Photographing Seve was a bit like trying to take an image of a wild animal. There was this amazing thrill of the chase – he was the game and I was the hunter. While he was on the hunt for birdies and eagles; I was after iconic images. And invariably, he delivered.
At the 1989 Masters, I got a sequence of him in Rae’s Creek on the 13th. I had often seen photographs of players attempting to play out of this before. It fiercely guards the green and is ready to swallow the not-quite-perfect approach on this wonderful par 5. Late on Friday afternoon, I joined Seve as he left the 12th green. He was playing well and in contention. As he played his second shot to the 13th, I was behind him. This is one of my favourite spots at Augusta on a sunny day. The shadows of the trees make incredible patterns and shapes on the fairway, and the subject stands in the middle of these, with the green and the vivid colours of the massed banks of azaleas providing an extraordinary backdrop. I noticed that Seve was leaning left on his followthrough, often signalling a shot leaking to the right. I couldn’t see where his ball had finished but inside I had a feeling it was in the creek.
One of the strictly enforced rules of spectator decorum at Augusta is the ‘no running rule’, even for people ‘working’ there; so walking as fast as I could humanly move without running, I made it across the 14th hole and up the rear stairs of the grandstand by the 13th green. At the back of this stand, there is a row where the photographers have some special positions. I was still not sure where Seve’s ball was, as I reached the top of the stairs gasping for breath. From there, I saw his ball on the edge of the water and I could see him prowling around considering his options.
My heart was pounding. Of all the players I could have wanted in the creek, with a shoe and sock off, Seve was THE one. When he played the shot, the sun was shining, and a huge splash of water was in frame. Sadly for Seve, his ball came back into the water, and he then had to take a drop. Happily for me, the picture worked!
The Ryder Cup was, of course, where we saw Seve at his combative best. For us, as photographers, there was always a brilliant image to be had, wherever we turned. When he teamed up with his compatriot, Jose Maria Olazábal, they were a delight to witness – teamwork at its very best.
I travelled to Spain to be there at his funeral. Carmen, his former wife, picked me up at the airport. No cameras, just me and my memories. I had forgotten what a peaceful village Pedrena is. On the evening before the funeral, I went to the Racing Santander v Athletico Madrid football match, where Javier gave a very moving tribute to his father. It was somewhat humbling to see my image of him at St Andrews, draped over a section of the ground.
The funeral was unforgettable. The lone piper, leading the family to the church, was a part of Scotland which was so appropriate. The bravery of his children, holding the urn and the branch of the Magnolia tree he had wanted, because it reminded him of Augusta, was staggering. For me, though, the walk across the fairways of Pedrena Golf Club to the Church was the way I wanted to think of Seve – all those years on the course where he started to play the game and still played until he was too ill to play any longer. I could never imagine a more special way to say goodbye.
It was such a sad day, but knowing Seve and his determination he will not have given up lightly. Hopefully, he will have found peace and will be charming the world up there with the greatest smile a photographer could ever take. How lucky and extremely privileged we all were to know him and how tragic it was to have lost a friend so young.
