Seve Ballesteros facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Ballesteros and the second or maternal family name is Sota.

Quick facts for kids Seve Ballesteros
Ballesteros in 2006
Personal information
Full name	Severiano Ballesteros Sota
Born	(1957-04-09)9 April 1957 Pedreña, Cantabria, Spain
Died	7 May 2011(2011-05-07) (aged 54) Pedreña, Cantabria, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Nationality	Spain
Spouse	Carmen Botín O'Shea (m. 1988; div. 2004)
Children	3
Career
Turned professional	1974
Former tour(s)	European Tour
Professional wins	90
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	9
European Tour	50 (1st all time)
Japan Golf Tour	6
PGA Tour of Australasia	2
Other	28
Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 5)
The Masters Tournament	Won: 1980, 1983
U.S. Open	3rd: 1987
The Open Championship	Won: 1979, 1984, 1988
PGA Championship	5th: 1984
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1999
European Tour Order of Merit winner	1976, 1977, 1978, 1986, 1988, 1991
European Tour Golfer of the Year	1986, 1988, 1991

Severiano Ballesteros Sota (born April 9, 1957 – died May 7, 2011) was a famous Spanish professional golfer. He was known as a World No. 1 and was one of the top golfers from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s.

Seve, as he was often called, won 90 international golf tournaments. This included five major championships between 1979 and 1988. He won the Open Championship three times and the Masters Tournament twice. He became famous in 1976 when, at just 19, he finished second at The Open. Seve played a big part in making European golf popular again. He helped the European Ryder Cup team win five times, both as a player and as a captain.

Ballesteros holds the record for winning 50 European Tour titles. He won at least one European Tour title every year for 17 years, from 1976 to 1992. His last big win was in 1995. Later in his career, back injuries made it hard for him to play his best. Even so, he stayed involved in golf. He created the Seve Trophy and had a business designing golf courses. In 2000, Golf Digest magazine called him the greatest golfer from Continental Europe ever.

In his later years, Seve played less due to his back problems. He retired from professional golf in 2007. In 2008, he was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. He received a special award for his lifetime achievements in 2009. Seve sadly passed away from brain cancer on May 7, 2011, when he was 54 years old.

Seve Ballesteros: A Golf Legend
Tributes to Seve
Seve's Lasting Legacy
Major Championship Wins
Images for kids
See also

Seve Ballesteros: A Golf Legend

Early Life and How He Started Golf

Severiano Ballesteros Sota was born in a small village called Pedreña in Cantabria, Spain, on April 9, 1957. He was the youngest of five sons. His father was a farm worker. All his brothers became professional golfers too.

Seve learned to play golf on the beaches near his home. He often played when he was supposed to be in school! He mainly used a 3-iron golf club. His older brother Manuel gave it to him when Seve was eight. His uncle, Ramón Sota, was also a famous Spanish golf champion.

Seve became a professional golfer in March 1974, when he was only 16. He quickly became known around the world. In 1976, at the 1976 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, he finished second. He was leading after the third round, but another golfer, Johnny Miller, won. Still, Seve won the European Tour's money title that year. He won it for the next two years as well, and six times in total!

Becoming a Major Champion

Ballesteros won his first Open Championship in 1979. He hit his ball into a car park on the 16th hole but still managed to get a birdie! This was a famous moment.

He went on to win five major championships:

The Masters Tournament in 1980 and 1983.
The Open Championship in 1979, 1984, and 1988.

His 1980 Masters win was special because he was the first European player to win it. He was also the youngest winner at 23 years old. (This record was later broken by Tiger Woods in 1997). His 1979 Open Championship win made him the youngest winner of that tournament in the 20th century. He was also the first golfer from continental Europe to win a major since 1907.

Seve said that making the winning putt on the 18th green at St Andrews in the 1984 Open Championship was "the happiest moment of my whole sporting life." In 1988, he won his last major title, The Open Championship. He said his final round of 65 was "perhaps the best round of my entire career."

Ryder Cup Hero

For many years, Seve was a key player for the European Ryder Cup team. He won 22.5 points in 37 matches against the United States. His team-up with fellow Spaniard José María Olazábal was one of the most successful in Ryder Cup history. They won 11 matches together!

Seve was part of European teams that won the Ryder Cup in 1985, 1987, 1989, and 1995. A highlight of his career was in 1997. He was the captain of the winning European team at Valderrama Golf Club in Spain. This was the first time the Ryder Cup was held in continental Europe.

Seve was ranked as the world's number one golfer for 61 weeks between 1986 and 1989. He was also the world number one at the end of 1988.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1999, Seve was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame. He also helped start the Seve Trophy in 2000. This is a team golf competition, similar to the Ryder Cup. It pits a team from Great Britain and Ireland against a team from continental Europe.

By the late 1990s, Seve played less often because of back problems. He officially retired from competitive golf on July 16, 2007. He also designed golf courses. He was the captain of the European team in the Royal Trophy from 2006.

Personal Life and Health Challenges

Seve was married to Carmen Botín O'Shea from 1988 until their divorce in 2004. They had three children: Javier, Miguel, and Carmen.

In October 2008, Seve lost consciousness at an airport. He was diagnosed with a serious brain tumor. He had several operations and chemotherapy treatments. In June 2009, he made his first public appearance after treatment. He said it was a "miracle" to be alive.

He also started the "Seve Ballesteros Foundation." This foundation helps people with cancer, especially brain tumors. It also helps young golfers who need financial support.

Sadly, Seve's health worsened, and he passed away on May 7, 2011, at the age of 54.

Tributes to Seve

Many people in the golf world and beyond honored Seve after his death.

The European Tour held a moment of silence during a tournament.
Tiger Woods called him "one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game."
Golfer Lee Westwood said, "Seve made European golf what it is today."
Phil Mickelson honored Seve by choosing a Spanish-themed menu for the Masters Champions Dinner.
At the Madrid Open tennis tournament, a moment of silence was held. Tennis star Rafael Nadal was very sad.
The three major U.S. men's golf tours stopped play for a moment of silence.
A funeral service was held in his home village of Pedreña.
The Spanish flag was raised at the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida.

Seve's Lasting Legacy

Seve Ballesteros left a huge mark on golf.

At the 2012 Ryder Cup, the European team wore navy blue and white clothes on the final day. This was in memory of Seve, who always wore those colors.
The team's uniform also had a picture of Seve's famous celebration after his 1984 Open Championship win.
Some European golfers suggested changing the European Tour's official logo to a picture of Seve.
In 2015, the airport in his home region of Cantabria was renamed Seve Ballesteros – Santander Airport. This was to honor him as a great example in sports and life.
In 2017, the European Tour Players' Player of the Year award was renamed The Seve Ballesteros Award.

Major Championship Wins

Seve won 5 major championships during his career:

The Open Championship: 1979, 1984, 1988
Masters Tournament: 1980, 1983

He was known for his exciting style of play and his ability to make amazing shots from difficult situations.

Images for kids

Ballesteros in 2006