40 Facts About Seve Ballesteros

Severiano Ballesteros Sota was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No 1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.

Seve Ballesteros gained attention in the golfing world in 1976, when at the age of 19, he finished second at The Open.

Seve Ballesteros played a leading role in the re-emergence of European golf, helping the European Ryder Cup team to five wins both as a player and captain.

Seve Ballesteros won at least one European Tour title for 17 consecutive years between 1976 and 1992.

Seve Ballesteros was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for the second time at the BBC Sports Personality Awards in 2009.

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Seve Ballesteros was presented with the award at his home in Spain by his compatriot and former Ryder Cup teammate Jose Maria Olazabal.

Severiano Ballesteros Sota was born in the village of Pedrena, Cantabria, Spain, on 9 April 1957, the youngest of five sons of Baldomero Ballesteros Presmanes, who was a farm labourer, and Carmen Sota Ocejo.

Seve Ballesteros learned the game while playing on the beaches near his home, at the time while he was supposed to be in school, mainly using a 3-iron given to him by his older brother Manuel when he was eight years old.

Seve Ballesteros turned professional in March 1974 at the age of 16.

Seve Ballesteros led by two shots after the third round, but a final round 74 saw him tie with Jack Nicklaus, six shots behind the winner Johnny Miller.

Seve Ballesteros went on to win the European Tour Order of Merit that year, a title that he would win the next two years, and six times total, a record at the time.

Seve Ballesteros won his first Open Championship in 1979 with a closing 70, a round in which he famously hit his tee shot into a car park on the 16th hole yet still made a birdie.

Seve Ballesteros went on to win five major championships: the Masters Tournament in 1980 and 1983, and The Open Championship in 1979,1984 and 1988.

Seve Ballesteros was suspended by the PGA Tour for failing to meet his commitment.

Much of the 1980s and 1990s, Seve Ballesteros was a mainstay of the European Ryder Cup team.

Seve Ballesteros scored 22½ points in 37 matches against the United States; his partnership with fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal was the most successful in the history of the competition, with 11 wins and two halved matches out of 15 pairs matches.

Seve Ballesteros led the Official World Golf Ranking for a total of 61 weeks in the period from their inauguration to September 1989, including being world number one at the end of the 1988 season.

Seve Ballesteros led McCormack's World Golf Rankings, published in McCormack's "World Of Professional Golf" annuals in 1983,1984 and 1985.

Seve Ballesteros was ever-present in the end of season world's top ten according to those rankings for fifteen years, from 1977 to 1991 inclusive.

Seve Ballesteros was instrumental in introducing the Seve Trophy in 2000, a team competition similar to the Ryder Cup pitting a team from Great Britain and Ireland against one from continental Europe.

In 2000, Seve Ballesteros was ranked as the 16th greatest golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine; he was the top golfer from the continent of Europe.

Seve Ballesteros had played sparingly since the late 1990s because of back problems, and made his first start in years at the 2005 Madrid Open.

Seve Ballesteros stated a desire to play more tournaments in the 2006 season.

Seve Ballesteros entered the 2006 Open Championship, having played just one other event on the European Tour, The Open de France Alstom, where he missed the cut.

Seve Ballesteros ran a thriving golf course design business and had been eligible for the Champions Tour and European Seniors Tour upon turning 50 in 2007.

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Seve Ballesteros had been the captain of the European team in the Royal Trophy since its inception in 2006.

Seve Ballesteros was announced again as non-playing captain of the 2008 European team to defend the Royal Trophy against the Asian team at the Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.

Seve Ballesteros had been briefly hospitalized when he became concerned about the condition of his heart, but was released the same day after being given a clean bill of health.

Seve Ballesteros was a member of the Laureus World Sports Academy.

Seve Ballesteros had become involved in European golf course design in his later years, most famously altering the 17th hole at Valderrama before the 1997 Ryder Cup.

Seve Ballesteros was married to Carmen Botin O'Shea, daughter of Emilio Botin, from 1988 until their divorce in 2004, in the municipality of Marina de Cudeyo in Cantabria.

Seve Ballesteros then returned home to northern Spain and underwent chemotherapy treatment as an outpatient.

Seve Ballesteros completed a second course of chemotherapy at Madrid's La Paz Hospital in February 2009.

In June 2009, Seve Ballesteros made his first public appearance after treatment for the brain tumour.

Seve Ballesteros said it was a "miracle" to be alive and he thanked everyone who had been involved in his care and welfare.

Nadal, a close friend of Seve Ballesteros, was seen wiping away tears as he watched the video screen.

Funeral service was held for Seve Ballesteros, previously cremated, at the parish church of San Pedro, in his home village of Pedrena.

Seve Ballesteros's ashes were then to be scattered at his home estate.

The motivation behind this popular initiative was to honor Seve Ballesteros for being one of the most universal of Cantabrians and an example in sports and life.

Seve Ballesteros used Ping putters consistently throughout his career and has more golden clubs for wins in the Ping Gold Putter Vault than any other player.