Full Name: Severiano Ballesteros
Profession:Golfer and Five-Time Major Winner

Nationality:

Biography: Seve Ballesteros was one of the most influential and charismatic figures in golf. He won five major championships and played a key role in elevating European golf on the world stage.

Ballesteros began his golfing journey at age eight, practicing on beaches with a 3-iron given to him by his brother. He turned professional at 16 and quickly made his mark, finishing second in the 1976 Open Championship at 19 years old. In 1979, Ballesteros won his first major title at The Open Championship.

The following year, Ballesteros became the first European to win the Masters Tournament. He went on to win three Open Championships and two Masters titles throughout his career. Ballesteros was known for his creative and bold playing style, often making remarkable recoveries from difficult situations.

Ballesteros excelled in team competitions, particularly the Ryder Cup. He formed a successful partnership with fellow Spaniard José María Olazábal, and later captained the European team to victory in 1997. His contributions helped shift the balance of power in the Ryder Cup, making it a more competitive and exciting event.

Throughout his career, Ballesteros won 50 European Tour titles. Eventually, however, persistent back problems forced him to retire from professional golf in 2007. In 2008, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Ballesteros fought the illness for several years before passing away in 2011 at the age of 54.

Born:April 9,1957
Birthplace: Pedrena, Spain

Generation:Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac:Rooster
Star Sign:Aries

Died:May 7,2011 (aged 54)
Cause of Death:Brain cancer

• 1976-07-10 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Birkdale GC: American Johnny Miller wins his only Open championship, 6 strokes clear of Seve Ballesteros andJack Nicklaus; Miller's second and last major title
• 1979-07-21 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Lytham & St. Annes: Spaniard Seve Ballesteros wins by 3 fromJack Nicklaus &Ben Crenshaw; Nicklaus runner-up for record 7th time
• 1980-04-13 44th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: 23-year-old Spaniard Seve Ballesteros wins his first Masters, 4 strokes ahead of Jack Newton and Gibby Gilbert
• 1981-01-03 American golfer Johnny Miller wins the sport's first $1 million tournament when he beats Seve Ballesteros of Spain in a playoff in the inaugural Million Dollar World Challenge at Sun City, South Africa
• 1983-04-11 47th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC: Seve Ballesteros of Spain wins his 2nd Masters and 3rd major title, 4 strokes ahead ofBen Crenshaw andTom Kite; Monday finish because of torrential rain
• 1984-07-22 British Open Men's Golf, St Andrews: Seve Ballesteros of Spain wins his 2nd of 3 Open titles by 2 shots fromBernhard Langer &Tom Watson
• 1985-04-14 49th US Masters Tournament, Augusta National GC:Bernhard Langer wins by 2 strokes from Seve Ballesteros,Curtis Strange &Raymond Floyd; first German champion
• 1988-07-18 British Open Men's Golf, Royal Lytham & St. Annes: Spaniard Seve Ballesteros wins his 3rd Open title by 2 shots fromNick Price of Zimbabwe
• 1997-09-18 Seve Ballesteros andNick Faldo elected to World Golf Hall of Fame

• Carol Mann
• Greg Norman
• Inbee Park
• Patty Sheehan
• Sherri Turner
• Xander Schauffele