Tribute to Seve

We celebrate the life of the charismatic Spaniard with a series of articles

Few golfers have had an impact on the game that can compare with that of Severiano Ballesteros.

It is not an exaggeration to suggest he is the main reason the European Tour can boast fields of the global quality of the Abu Dhabi Championship or announce season schedules with the kind of prize funds which even Premier League footballers would judge lucrative.

Of course men such as Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, John Jacobs and Ken Schofield would rightly claim to have been some of those who also played a key part in the European Tour's progression to the successful sporting business it is today.

But none had the Seve effect. Seve made golf sexy, exciting and cool; he made it acceptable to play golf if you were a kid. He attracted women to the game by virtue of his matinee idol-looks.

For a sport to grow, it needs stars which take the game to those unaware of its attractions. Seve, along with Faldo, Langer, Lyle and Woosnam, performed this role.

He didn't just win titles, it was the manner of victory. The tales of his escapology are many and varied, yet rarely exaggerated. They didn't need to be; the reality was sufficiently astonishing. Fact more outrageous than fiction.

He beat the Americans at Augusta when no European had threatened to break through. Given little credit for his talent, he strained to rub American noses in defeat at every possible opportunity.

On an individual level, that meant another Masters Green Jacket as well as three Open Championships. His successes in this country are iconic; from the car park champion to the St Andrews fist pump to the star-studded Monday finish – every one a classic Open.

His victories over here saw him taken to the hearts of British crowds as only perhaps Ben Hogan and Tom Watson of visiting golfers had managed previously or since.

In many battles against Faldo, it was the Spaniard who the majority of the home crowds would be rooting for. They were not unpatriotic, just full of admiration and affection for a true sporting great.

His desire to conquer America was given its greatest outlet in team golf. The Ryder Cup had become staid and uneventful before continental European golfers were introduced.

Seve's effect was not immediate on debut in 1979 and indeed in 1981 he was absent from the match at Walton Heath after falling out with the PGA.

In many battles against Faldo, it was the Spaniard who the majority of the home crowds would be rooting for. Not unpatriotic, just admiration and affection for a true sporting g...

Some would have viewed missing the thrashing at the hands of a ridiculously powerful American team as a gift in disguise. One suspects it frustrated Seve immensely.

By 1983 he was back in the saddle and after the narrow defeat told his team-mates they would complete the job next time. That they did.

Two years later, a strong European side won for the first time in America. On a torrid last day, Seve was the one who held firm as Tony Jacklin's Europe triumphed.

A key part of the reason was Seve's partnership with his young compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal. It was a pairing which will be the most successful alliance in Ryder Cup history for many, many decades to come.

It gave great joy to those who witnessed the passion, energy and determination with which the Spanish Armada played, all the time laced with mutual love and respect for each other.

Their affection remained right to the end and Olazabal's emotional presentation of an award to Seve on the BBC's Sports Personality of the Year was unforgettable.

Our celebration of his life and career draws recollections from many friends, team-mates and opponents, as well as capturing his finest moments on film.

We hope you enjoy each one.

Tony Jacklin: Why I had to get him in my team

In pictures: His Major victories on film

Bernard Gallacher: He was Arnie and Jack in one

In pictures: Charting his Ryder Cup heroics

His peers: McGinley, Wilson and Johnstone reflect

The American view: Pavin and Co remember Seve

In pictures: The man away from the course

Mr Ryder Cup: Team-mates recall Europe's King

The People's Champion: The Augusta Years

A loveable rascal: Tour figures reflect on his life

Seve: Truly one of a kind