There are golfers, and there are golfers. And then there s Seve. everiano Ballesteros is perhaps the most naturally gifted golfer ever to have walked a fairway. From the moment his brother Manuel gave him his first club a 3 iron he was unstoppable; he played shots others could only dream of. A few weeks before his 17th birthday he turned pro. Five years later he won the Open. A year after that he became the first European ever to win the Masters. A genius had arrived. or the best part of two decades Seve dominated the golfing landscape. With 94 wins to date as a professional (including 5 Majors), 6 European Order of Merit titles and the No. 1 position in the Official World Golf Rankings, he became a sporting phenomenon, an athlete who transcended and still transcends his sport. ut Seve stands for more than simple excellence. Almost single-handedly, Seve gave European golf credibility; almost single-handedly, he made the Ryder Cup one of the greatest contests in world sport. And when, as captain, he finally lifted the trophy on home soil in 1997, a whole continent rejoiced. His pride and passion have inspired millions, and we have taken him to our hearts. ow, for the f