Seve's Greatest Moments

As part of our celebration of the life and career of Seve Ballesteros, we have been looking back at some of the Spaniard’s greatest moments.

You can read part one of the series here and part two of the series here.

This final chapter looks at four further highlights from Seve’s glittering career, including a special final appearance at The Open.

1993 | European Masters

Barry Lane won the European Masters in 1993, but the tournament is best remembered for Seve producing arguably his greatest ever escape.

A stunning back-nine charge had lifted Ballesteros firmly into contention as he reached the 18th at Crans-sur-Sierre, but he looked to have lost his chance of victory with an errant drive to the right.

Billy Foster, Seve’s caddie at the time, recalls his player being approximately seven feet away from an eight-feet high wall, with a gap “the size of a dinner plate” between the top of the structure and a mass of trees. In addition, Seve only had room for half a backswing.

Chipping out sideways appeared the only option, but Ballesteros had other ideas. After ignoring Foster’s repeated pleas to play it safe, the three-time Champion Golfer played an extraordinary shot through the tiny gap he had identified, landing his ball just short of the green.

“It was the best shot I ever saw in my life,” said Foster, who admitted he had simply guessed a yardage given he thought Ballesteros had no chance of pulling it off.

As if his miraculous second was not enough, Seve then chipped in for birdie. It did not quite prove enough to earn victory, but the escape would go down in history.

1995 | Spanish Open

No player has yet come close to surpassing Ballesteros’ record haul of 50 European Tour titles. Fittingly, his final victory came on home soil in 1995, as he won the Spanish Open at Club de Campo in Madrid.

Seve trailed Gordon Brand Jnr by a single stroke heading into the final day and left himself with a mountain to climb when he bogeyed each of the first three holes.

However, after bouncing back with a birdie at the fourth, Ballesteros then produced a strong finish to secure his third Spanish Open title.

Birdies at the 12th and 15th took him clear of the field and Seve finished things off in style by picking up another shot at the final hole.

Having delighted a passionate crowd, the champion said: “There was a lot of pressure … but I have to say that the people really supported me a lot all the way. Thanks to the people I managed somehow to win.”

1997 | The Ryder Cup

If Seve felt pressure on his shoulders in the Spanish Open, it was surely nothing compared to the weight of expectation when he captained Europe’s Ryder Cup side at Valderrama in 1997.

Having played an integral role in ensuring Spain became the first country in continental Europe to host the event, Ballesteros was a man possessed as he sought to add to his many Ryder Cup successes as a player.

Wary of the many power-players within a star-studded United States side, Seve oversaw several modifications to the course that prioritised accuracy. Then, when the time came for the action to begin, Europe’s leader appeared to be everywhere, barking instructions left, right and centre as he did everything bar hitting his players’ shots for them.

Ballesteros’ ultra-hands-on captaincy style was not to everyone’s liking, but it ultimately brought victory as the hosts surged clear ahead of the concluding singles and then did just enough to get over the line on Sunday.

A glorious Ryder Cup career for Seve had been capped with the perfect ending.

2006 | The 135th Open

For all the many successes he achieved in golf, Ballesteros said the most exciting moment in his life came at The Open in 2006, when his eldest son, Javier, caddied for him in what would prove to be his final appearance at golf’s original Championship.

Twenty-seven years on from his first victory in The Open, an injury-plagued Seve was no longer a competitive force when he appeared at Royal Liverpool nine months short of his 50th birthday.

Yet he understandably remained a huge draw for spectators and his farewell appearance proved emotional for father and son.

“That was another level, to see the love of the fans. It was just fantastic,” said Javier in a recent interview with the BBC.

“I was 15, nearly 16, and my dad wasn’t practising anymore because of his back. I told him that he could play at The Open, because he had won it three times, and I would be very happy if I could caddie for him. He said: ‘Ok, I am not practising but I will do it for you.’ I felt pretty special. He played it just for me and it was fantastic.

“It was the best memories of my life – it doesn’t matter if I play good golf in my career, that will be my best memories on a golf course, for sure, it was perfect.”