Golf legend Seve Ballesteros dies after brain tumour battle
Seve Ballesteros has died three years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour. Tributes are being paid to the golfing great who won five majors and inspired Europe to Ryder Cup success.
Seve Ballesteros died in the early hours of Saturday from respiratory failure. He was 54 years old.
Ballesteros won the Open three times, the Masters twice and played an inspirational role in the Ryder Cup, helping Europe to lift the trophy in 1985, 1987, 1989 and 1995 before captaining them to another victory at Valderrama two years later.
The golfing great, who announced his retirement in 2007, collapsed at Madrid Airport in October 2008 and two days later came confirmation that he had a brain tumour.
Following treatment, Ballesteros said: “I am very motivated and working hard, although I am aware that my recovery will be slow and therefore I need to be patient and have a lot of determination.”
The Ballesteros family has expressed gratitude for the “support and gestures of love” it had received and asked for “respect and privacy at such a painful time.”
Tributes to a golfing great
English golfer Lee Westwood paid tribute on Twitter: “It’s a sad day. Lost an inspiration, genius, roll model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today. RIP Seve.”
Former England cricket captain Michael Vaughan wrote: “Not many can say they made the sport they played trendy, cool, fun and sexy. Seve single handily did that.”
The Duke of York, a keen golfer, paid tribute to Ballesteros, saying: “Seve was one of the inspirations for my taking up the game of golf. His talent and exuberance in the game is his lasting legacy.
“He will be sadly missed in the golfing world but his legendary status as the pre-eminent European golfer of our generation will never be far from our minds as we toil around trying to emulate the great man.”
The chief executive of Cancer Research UK Harpal Kumar said: “We’re very saddened to hear that Seve Ballesteros has lost his fight against brain cancer.
“I had the great honour of meeting Seve and his family at his home in Pedrena when we first established the Seve Ballesteros Foundation partnership in 2009 and my thoughts are with his family at this very difficult time.
“Seve was a hero to many for all he achieved during his career, but never more so than in the months after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour. His personal battle against the disease, and his determination to help others through his Foundation, was truly inspirational.”