Country : Spain
Date of Birth : 9 April 1957
Residence : Pedrena, Spain
Family : Single
Turned Pro : 1974
Interests : Cycling, fishing, gardening

56 European Tour victories

1995 : Spanish Open
1994 : German Masters, Benson and Hedges International Open
1992 : Turespana Open de Baleares, Dubai Desert Classic
1991 : Bonus Pool, World Match Play, Dunhill British Masters, European PGA Championship,
1990 : Open de Baleares
1989 : Ebel European Masters Swiss Open, Epson Grand Prix of Europe Matchplay Championship, Cepsa Madrid Open
1988 : Bonus Pool, Lancome Trophy, German Open, Scandinavian Enterprise Open, The 117th Open Golf Championship, Mallorca Open De Baleares
1987 : Suze Open
1986 : Lancome Trophy, KLM Dutch Open, Open de France, Johnnie Walker Monte Carlo Open, Carroll’s Irish Open, Dunhill British Masters
1985 : Benson and Hedges Spanish Open, World Match Play, Sanyo Open, Open de France, Carroll’s Irish Open
1984 : World Match Play, The 113th Open Golf Championship
1983 : Lancome Trophy, Carroll’s Irish Open, Sun Alliance PGA Championship
1982 : World Match Play, Paco Rabanne Open de France, Cepsa Madrid Open
1981 : World Match Play, Benson and Hedges Spanish Open, Scandinavian Enterprise Open
1980 : Dutch Open, Martini International, Madrid Open
1979 : The 108th Open Golf Championship, Lada English Golf Classic,
1978 : Swiss Open, Scandinavian Enterprise Open, Braun German Open, Martini International
1977 : Swiss Open, Uniroyal International Championship, French Open
1976 : Lancome Trophy, Dutch Open

Think of Seve Ballesteros as the Arnold Palmer of Europe: a fiery, charismatic, good-looking, swashbuckling, risk-taking player whose star power elevated the European Tour to new levels, and helped Europe achieve equality - ultimately superiority - in the Ryder Cup.

Creativity, imagination and short-game brilliance were the hallmarks of Ballesteros' game. He might miss the fairway off the tee, but at his best, it rarely hurt him. He even made birdie after playing from a parking lot during his 1979 British Open win.

Ballesteros grew up in a golfing family. His three brothers were golf pros; an uncle, Ramon Sota, finished 6th at the 1965 Masters. Ballesteros learned golf at age 7 using a cut-down 3-iron; by 13, he was winning events and shooting 65.

He turned pro in 1974, just 16 years old, and won the Spanish Professionals Championship that year. In 1976, he won five times on the European Tour and claimed the money title. He made up 4 shots on Arnold Palmer at the Lancome Trophy to get the victory; at the British Open, the 19-year-old chased Johnny Miller to the finish before settling for second.

During one stretch of 1978, Ballesteros won six consecutive weeks on three different continents. In 1979, the first of his five majors came at the British Open. He won his next major played, the Masters.

Controversy and success went hand in hand with Ballesteros. In 1981, he was voted off the European Ryder Cup team for playing too much in America. Then a dispute with the U.S. PGA Tour over playing commitments - Seve wanted to play part-time in America; the Tour said all-or-nothing - led to Ballesteros remaining in Europe full-time.
Ballesteros dominated the European Tour for much of the 1980s, and led Europe to its first big wins in the Ryder Cup. Winner of 87 titles worldwide, his charismatic presence was the key behind the European revival in The Ryder Cup. Won 20 points from 37 matches against the United States. Played a historic and inspirational role as Captain in Europe’s rentention of The Ryder Cup at Valderrama in 1997. First player to reach 1 million pounds, 2 million pounds and 3 million pounds earnings on The European Tour.