Lex Foutish
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I turned on the radio this morning to hear the not unexpected news that Seve had passed away. He was only 54 and he blazed the world golfing trail that so many European golfers have followed since. To those who are not really into golf, it's hard to put across just what a sensational player he was throughout his career, and especially in his early days. He did for European and world golf what Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods did in their day. He electrified tournaments and is one of the main reason that modern day Ryder Cups are such close and competitive affairs. The Americans feared him and Ollie and himself only lost 2 of their 15 Ryder Cup matches together, a tournament record.
Seve was the very first golfer I saw hit a ball in a professional tournament at the first Irish Open I attended. He was much taller and darker than I'd imagined he would be. Like some AAM posters, I saw him many times during his career. My only "up close and personal" experience with him was in The Heritage when he was giving a short game/bunker clinic a few years ago. He was hitting bunker shots like God and, as I was right beside him, he asked me what I thought. I told him that when I was in a bunker, and the pin was on the bunker side of the green, I'd usually hit a lob wedge (60 degree) instead of a sand wedge (54-56 degree). He very nicely disagreed with me by simply saying, " I don't tink show" and he flopped a sand wedge shot to within a foot of the hole that was cut closest to the bunker. He looked at me, winked and said, "Golf is a shimple game, no?"
He was Europe's first superstar golfer, first World Number 1 in 1988 and first winner of The Masters, which he won twice. He won a record 50 European titles, including 3 Irish Opens and 3 Open Championships. Few sporting greats are known simply by their first names but Seve is one of them.
Over the next few days, we can expect to hear to hear many nice things about Seve. Since his brain tumour diagnosis, the writing has been on the wall. Each year at the Masters at Augusta, the previous year's champion hosts a dinner for former champions and he also chooses the menu. This year, Phil Mickelson had a Spanish theme in honour of Seve and said that it was he who had inspired him to take up golf. Many people feared that he was gravely ill, at that stage.
The term, legend, is one that is over used in sport. There are very few in the world of golf but we lost one of them today....... Ní bheidh leithéid Seve ann arís, choíche.
He regarded this as his greatest moment
Nice ESPN tribute to Seve
Seve The Conquistador
BBC Lifetime Achievement Award 2009
Seve was the very first golfer I saw hit a ball in a professional tournament at the first Irish Open I attended. He was much taller and darker than I'd imagined he would be. Like some AAM posters, I saw him many times during his career. My only "up close and personal" experience with him was in The Heritage when he was giving a short game/bunker clinic a few years ago. He was hitting bunker shots like God and, as I was right beside him, he asked me what I thought. I told him that when I was in a bunker, and the pin was on the bunker side of the green, I'd usually hit a lob wedge (60 degree) instead of a sand wedge (54-56 degree). He very nicely disagreed with me by simply saying, " I don't tink show" and he flopped a sand wedge shot to within a foot of the hole that was cut closest to the bunker. He looked at me, winked and said, "Golf is a shimple game, no?"
He was Europe's first superstar golfer, first World Number 1 in 1988 and first winner of The Masters, which he won twice. He won a record 50 European titles, including 3 Irish Opens and 3 Open Championships. Few sporting greats are known simply by their first names but Seve is one of them.
Over the next few days, we can expect to hear to hear many nice things about Seve. Since his brain tumour diagnosis, the writing has been on the wall. Each year at the Masters at Augusta, the previous year's champion hosts a dinner for former champions and he also chooses the menu. This year, Phil Mickelson had a Spanish theme in honour of Seve and said that it was he who had inspired him to take up golf. Many people feared that he was gravely ill, at that stage.
The term, legend, is one that is over used in sport. There are very few in the world of golf but we lost one of them today....... Ní bheidh leithéid Seve ann arís, choíche.
He regarded this as his greatest moment
Nice ESPN tribute to Seve
Seve The Conquistador
BBC Lifetime Achievement Award 2009