Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros (born 9 April 1957) is
a Spanish professional golfer and former World No.
1, who was one of the sport's leading figures from
the mid 1970s to the mid 1990s. He announced himself
to the golfing world in 1976, when at age 19 he
finished second at The Open Championship. A part of
a gifted golfing family, Ballesteros won five major
tournaments between the years of 1979 and 1988,
including The Masters twice. He was also successful
in the Ryder Cup, helping the European team to five
wins both as a player and captain.
Due to back-related injuries, Ballesteros struggled
with form during the 1990s. In spite of this, he
continued to be involved in the game of golf,
creating The Seve Trophy and running a golf course
design business. Ballesteros eventually retired from
competitive golf in 2007 due to continued poor form.
