seve tributes

Everyone from world No1 Lee Westwood to the King of Spain has spoken fondly of what Seve Ballesteros meant to them. Here are just a handul of the tributes that have come out since Seve passed away on Saturday…

José María Olazábal
My first memory of Seve goes back to ‘83 or ’84. I was an amateur, and he called me to play in a charity event. It was a big surprise and I was very excited. It’s hard to chose one of the many moments that I lived with him, but surely the most cherished are  Ryder Cup moments, particular the 1997 edition.
 
“What impressed most in Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he did. I saw him for the last time the Saturday after the Masters. He was not well, but his head was clear. We talked about many things… so many common memories, and particularly about the Ryder Cup.
 
The best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him, although no tribute will ever do justice to everything he did for golf and to everything he gave us.”
 

Miguel Ángel Jiménez 
“I first met Seve when I was around 15. He came to play our ’79 Spanish Open at Torrequebrada. I worked there as a caddie, and he was on top of the world… people were crazy about him. I also remember when I won the Belgian Open in 1992. I didn’t speak a word of English so he interpreted for me. He said, “You are the winner, you are the boss, say whatever you feel like saying.”
 
“He was outstanding for his determination and his passion in everything he did. He never gave up, he always found a way out, and this was reflected in his personality.
 
“I have lived so many moments with him that it’s hard to chose one. I would maybe highlight the ’97 Ryder Cup, where I was his assistant. It was a truly special week. I loved to watch him fulfil one of his dreams and enjoy it so much. Seve’s passion for the Ryder Cup was unique.”

Lee Westwood
“You always knew when Seve walked in a room even if you had your back to him.  He oozed charisma and brought a whole new meaning to aura. Seve gave his everything for golf and what the game and the European Tour particularly owes him is immense.   We would not be playing where and for what we are today without him having graced the world’s fairways.  He was that iconic a figure.

“Seve was everything as a golfer. Immensely proud, fiercely determined, swashbuckling, brave, fearless and with a silky short game that few could match. He attracted every age group and was truly a golfer of the people. Football is and always will be king in Spain, but the rise in popularity of the game in that country and others can be put down to Seve and what he brought to it.

Sergio Garcia
“I am devastated to hear of Seve’s passing.  He has inspired me so much throughout my career and I admired him above all for his fighting spirit – never more so than in the manner in which he has battled this terrible illness. It is the most enormous loss to the world of sport to lose this great man although he will be remembered and loved forever. He was a champion on the golf course, but also a champion for the game in Spain and Europe. I send my sincerest condolences to Seve’s family.”

Ernie Els
“This is a very sad day for golf.  Seve was such an iconic figure and the flag bearer for European golf over many years.  He opened up so many doors for Europe’s players by winning all over the world and particularly in America.   The European Tour would not be what it is today without him.

“Seve was an absolute hero of mine and I modelled so much of my game on him.  I was very fortunate to have had  the opportunity to play with him many times and the most memorable was our battle in the World Matchplay of 1994. It was an unforgettable day and I feel honoured that I was able to share centre stage with him.

“Seve was a very proud man in golf and in life in general.   He never backed down from a challenge.  The world of golf has lost one of its greatest heroes.”

Colin Montgomerie
“I am devastated to hear the news. He fought so bravely throughout this awful illness and, time and time again, showed such bravery and miraculous recovery skills as he did throughout his career.

“There are very few legends in the world, Seve is one of them. I never saw such a talent to swing a golf club, and we may never see it again. We have lost one of the great icons of the game, it is a great loss for Spain, for Europe and for the world. This is a very sad day for the world of golf, but it is also a day of celebration, it is a day to celebrate his life, showing pictures and videos of Seve at his best. It has been an honour to play with Seve and an honour to play under him as a Captain.

“He has left us with so many wonderful lasting memories and his contributions to European golf are unquantifiable. I send my deepest sympathies to his family.“

Padraig Harrington
“Seve was the most charismatic and artistic golfer I have ever seen play the game.  He helped the tremendous growth of The European Tour during the 70’s and 80’s and inspired all those players who came after him. He will be sadly missed.”

Paul Casey 
“He really blazed the trail for Europeans. Not only in the Ryder Cup, but also in how he played at Augusta and his victories over here. We owe a huge amount to him.”

European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady
“This is such a very sad day for all who love golf. Seve’s unique legacy must be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support, and play golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion, and fierce determination. We have all been so blessed to live in his era. He was the inspiration behind The European Tour.”

Tim Finchem, Commissioner of the PGA Tour
“All of us at the PGA TOUR are very saddened to learn of the passing of Seve Ballesteros. Our hearts and deepest sympathies go out to the Ballesteros family and his many fans during this very sad time.

“For more than 30 years, Seve had a large impact on the game and inspired many players with his creativity and flair on and off the golf course. A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, Seve was truly an international icon, winning 87 tournaments worldwide, including five major championships.

“His influence on the Ryder Cup was transformational, as his exceptional abilities as a player helped lead to the inclusion of continental European players, which up until 1979 had been excluded from the team made up of those from Great Britain and Ireland. Some of the greatest moments in Ryder Cup history featured Seve, either as a player on one of the eight teams he played on or as captain of the victorious 1997 team in his home country of Spain.

“Seve Ballesteros’ impact on golf will be felt long into the future, and we join his family and many friends in mourning his passing.”

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
“I would like to express my deepest condolences on the death of Severiano Ballesteros, one of the finest golfers of all time and a legend in world sport.

“Severiano represented a beginning and an end in the history of Spanish sport: his example paved the way for the extraordinary success our sport is currently enjoying.

“He was the mirror which Spanish athletes who have reached the pinnacle of world sport looked into. Severiano was loved and respected for his great charisma and strength, which he showed until the very end of his life.” — Statement.

IOC President Jacques Rogge
 “Seve Ballesteros was a man of incredible skill, charisma and courage as a sportsman, and the dignified way that he fought against the disease was characteristic of the man and was an inspiration to us all.

“He was a ‘once in a generation athlete’ in his sport, and his influence on the game will live long after him.

“On behalf of the Olympic Movement I would like to send our condolences to his family but also our huge appreciation for the life of a remarkable man.”

Bernard Gallacher
“He felt it was his duty as the best player in the world to inspire the European team. When I became Captain in 1991 he was still one of the best players in the world and he former a formidable partnership with Olazábal, virtually unbeatable.”

“Seve’s best golf was played in the 1980s but he was still inspiring this new generation of golfers – the Martin Kaymers, the Ross Fishers, we’ve heard from Lee Westwood how as a young boy he would watch Seve and everyone would want to copy and emulate Seve.

“Every European Tour player today should thank Seve for what they’re playing for. America had Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer – Seve was our Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus rolled into one.

“You can’t speak too highly of him, Seve was Europe’s best ever player.”

Former caddie Billy Foster
“There’s not many players I’ve worked for in my time that have that aura about them. It was a special time – I was probably 25 years old, I’d caddied for maybe 10 years, and I got the ultimate dream chance of working for an absolute superstar.”

Peter Alliss
“He was wonderful to watch. He brought delight and joy to many people who watched and played golf. He tweaked a few tails along the way and bloodied a few noses but that’s what helped make him what he was. He was a fighter, feisty, skilful, cheeky, lovable, he was everything. [To light up a room] he just had to smile. He had hair as black as a ravens wings when he was  a boy, his smile and twinkle in the eyes. When Seve was in a good mood the world smiled with him.”

Guy Kinnings, Director of IMG Golf
“‘Legend’ is an over-used word but Seve truly was a legend of the game. He shaped the European Tour into the thriving enterprise it is today and changed the Ryder Cup forever. He inspired those he met and many that he did not even meet such was the sheer force of his personality and will be missed and remembered by all. He was the most charismatic sportsman in history and he leaves a lasting legacy. A perfect example of his  lasting influence on the game of golf is the inspiration he has provided to young rising star, Matteo Manassero who names Seve as his hero and inspiration at every opportunity.”

Chubby Chandler of International Sports Management
“The world of golf is a much sadder place today following the news that Seve Ballesteros has lost his long battle against cancer. It was a privilege for me to have played on the European Tour when Seve was the best in the world so I saw him at his absolute best and his best was better than anybody else’s.   He was simply incomparable.”

Phil Mickelson
“He’s certainly had an impact on the game, but to me the greatest thing about Seve is his flair and his charisma. Because of the way he played the game of golf, you were drawn to him. You wanted to go watch him play. He had charisma and he kind of had so many shots that it was fun to watch him play.”

Tiger Woods
“I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Seve Ballesteros. I always enjoyed spending time with him at the Champions dinner each year at the U.S. Masters. Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game. His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed. His death came much too soon.”

Nick Price
“What he did for European golf was what Tiger Woods did for worldwide golf. The European Tour would not be where it is now if it were not for Seve. His allegiance to the European Tour was admirable. I mean the guy was an icon; just an incredible golfer. I’ve always said most of us could shoot 65 in about 30 or 40 ways. He could do it about 10,000 different ways. He could miss every fairway, chip in five times, hole two bunker shots…what a sad day today.

“He was so creative around the greens. It didn’t matter if there was a tree or bunker, he’d figure out a way to get up and down. He and I had a great duel at Royal Lytham in 1988. It was a great day for each of us. I remember the seventh hole he made an eagle right on top of me. I remember after we played that hole that one of us was going to win because we were both playing so well that day and neither of us was going to back down. He was always very kind to me. Whatever you may have heard about him, his love for the game and his competitiveness was something I learned so much from.

“I don’t want to say I idolized the guy but I respected him so much for the way he played the game because he could play the game like very few people. He really did. He had that beautiful smile that used to win over the hearts of all the women. He was just an incredible personality; a huge asset. I think all of us who played with him or spent any time with him are the richer for it.”