Sunday, May 8, 2011

Farewell to a Legend: Seve Ballesteros

Seve was a legend. It's as simple as that. He will be sorely missed, even though he was no longer playing and was rarely seen in public. The mention of his name was enough to inspire many... indeed, many of the current crop of Spanish players were probably inspired to play golf on the back of his great victories and his devil-may-care approach that made him such a joy to watch.

I was lucky enough to meet him twice: once as a youngster at the Irish Open and then again when I interviewed him during the Special Olympics when it was held in Ireland. On both occasions it was an honour, although the first time I just stood there with my mouth open in awe.

In today's Sunday Independent there is an article that quotes his brother. It brought tears to my eyes...

"He knew he was dying and he did so with total integrity," said his older brother, Baldomero. "Seve said goodbye to each of us, one by one. We clenched hands and he whispered to us. I moved very close and told him 'I love you' and Seve replied 'I love you too'." His voice cracking with emotion, Baldomero added: "He's much more than a brother, a son or a father. He's a glory."

Severiano Ballesteros
April 1957 - May 2011.
He was far too young to be playing the fairways of the sky.

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