On This Day: Seve Ballesteros’ remarkable career in numbers
Golfing great Seve Ballesteros was born on this day in 1957.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the key numbers in the life and career of the Spaniard.
12 – The young Ballesteros, whose uncle Ramon Sota had recently finished sixth in the US Masters, won his first tournament before his teenage years, hitting a 79 at his home town golf club at Pedrena in northern Spain.
65 – Aged 13, the obsessive young golfer shaved 14 shots off his Pedrena tournament-winning total.
19 – Little over two years after turning professional, Ballesteros announced himself to the world while still in his teenage years, finishing second behind Johnny Miller at The Open at Royal Birkdale in 1976.
1977 – The 20-year-old won his first European Tour Order of Merit.
6 – Ballesteros won six consecutive tournaments in four continents the following year.
WATCH: One of the most memorable moments in Open history, Seve Ballesteros’ victory at St Andrews in 1984. #TBThttps://t.co/MNFLBZ54O1
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 2, 2015
1979 – The mercurial talent won his first major at Lytham St Annes, lifting the Claret Jug after finishing three shots ahead of Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw.
5 – Ballesteros won five majors in all – the Masters in 1980 and 1983 and The Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 1979, St Andrews in 1984 and Royal Lytham St Annes again in 1988.
Most European Tour wins 🏆
5⃣0⃣ Ballesteros4⃣2⃣ Langer4⃣0⃣ Woods3⃣2⃣ Montgomerie3⃣1⃣ Faldo2⃣9⃣ Woosnam2⃣8⃣ Els2⃣3⃣ Westwood2⃣3⃣ Olazabal2⃣1⃣ Torrance2⃣1⃣ Jimenez1⃣8⃣ Lyle1⃣8⃣ James1⃣6⃣ McNulty1⃣5⃣ Harrington1⃣5⃣ Bjorn pic.twitter.com/EhiDC95AeM
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 9, 2018
93 – He came close to winning a century of professional golf tournaments. His haul included five World Match Plays and two World Cups.
9 – The Ryder Cup became a European team rather than just British and Irish when Ballesteros made his debut in 1979 and he went on to take part in nine tournaments, captaining the team to success in Spain in 1997.
50 – Ballesteros announced his retirement in 2007 at Carnoustie, the venue of his Open debut 32 years earlier. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour the following year and died in May 2011.
Latest
-
NewsDaniel Gavins ‘speechless’ after stunning comeback seals first European Tour win
Gavins was ranked 995th in the world at the end of 2020 and had never previously recorded a single top-10 finish.
-
Matt CooperPunter’s pointers: The Olympic Men’s Golf Competition
Who will emulate Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar in standing on the podium to collect Olympic medals this week?
-
NewsNacho Elvira dedicates dramatic Cazoo Open victory to Celia Barquin Arozamena
The 2018 European Ladies’ Amateur champion was murdered later in the year on a course in Iowa.
-
NewsMinjee Lee overturns a seven-shot deficit to take Evian Championship victory
A win over South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6 in a play-off saw the Australian secure her first major title.
-
NewsMinjee Lee overturns a seven-shot deficit to take Evian Championship victory
A win over South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6 in a play-off saw the Australian secure her first major title.
-
NewsMorikawa Clinches Second Career Major
It is fair to say that the recent 2021 edition was absolutely no different and with a number of early contenders once again falling.
-
NewsMatt Wallace out to show Padraig Harrington his desire to make Ryder Cup team
Wallace was overlooked for a wild card in 2018 despite winning for the third time in 15 starts.
-
NewsCollin Morikawa to reassess his goals after winning The Open at first attempt
The 24-year-old American has already won two majors.
-
NewsThe Open day four: Halfway to a career grand slam two years after turning pro
Collin Morikawa has added the Open to the US PGA, both of them won on tournament debut.