Ballesteros, Severino
Golf
b. April 9, 1957, Pedrena, Spain
As a young caddie in Spain, Ballesteros taught himself to play golf, using a single iron that had been given to him. Because caddies weren't supposed to use the course, he had to sneak in his practice time, often after dusk.
He began playing professionally in 1974 and came to prominence in 1976, when he tied Jack Nicklaus for second place in the British Open. After a stint in the Spanish Air Force, Ballesteros became the top money winner on the European tour in 1978, collecting more than $800,000.
Ballesteros attracted such a following in a few U. S. tournaments that he was offered a free card to play on the PGA tour, but he declined because he wanted to maintain his home base in Spain and felt the rigors of frequent air travel would hurt his game.
In 1979, Ballesteros became the youngest winner of the British Open since Tom Morris Jr. in 1868. He won the tournament again in 1984 and 1988, tying him with seven other golfers, including Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Gary Player, for fourth on the all-time victory list in that event.
Ballesteros made his mark on American television in 1980, when he won his first Masters championship. He had a 9-stroke lead after shooting 66, 69, and 68 on the first three rounds and a 33 on the front nine in the final round. His lead suddenly shrank to 4 shots with five holes to play after he double-bogeyed the 12th hole and bogeyed the 13th, but he pulled himself together and finished strongly to claim the title.
At the 1983 Masters, Ballesteros trailed by a stroke after the first three rounds. He then took the lead with a brilliant stretch of golf, going birdie, eagle, par, and birdie on the first four holes of the final round and finishing solidly once again for another four-shot victory.
Ballesteros has won 72 tournaments on five continents. He led the European tour in money won from 1976 through 1978, and in 1986, 1988, and 1991. He played for European teams that won the Ryder Cup in 1985, 1987, and 1989 and was non-playing captain of the 1997 team.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Ballesteros can hit the ball a long way, but his drives are often erratic. He makes up for that with an aggressive style of play out of bunkers and rough and, as Sports Illustrated described it, "a magical short game to conjure his way out of trouble."