OT - Seve Being Seve......

[David_Tepper]

......at the Masters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RIIwxaae4Y

[PCCraig]

Seve was the best!!!!

[Rob Marshall]

Saw Seve at Oak Hill. He was hitting it off the planet and getting up and down from garbage cans. Truly amazing.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I only saw him once, in 1987 at Olympic Club where he finished T3 with Crenshaw and Langer.


Surprising result given how tight that US Open layout was.

[David_Tepper]

One of the reasons I posted that link is there are likely some young guys here who never saw Seve in his prime or even saw him at all. They sure missed something.

[David Cronan]

He’s the only golfer I’ve ever spent money to watch in person. He’s the Miles Davis of golf: every round was a master class in improvisation. Nick Price said something to the effect that “Out here on Tour, we can all shoot 63. And we can do it about a dozen different ways. Seve can do it a hundred different ways.”

[JohnVDB]

I followed him around at a practice round at the Players in 1995. Watching him practice his short game shots was amazing. He was also having fun interacting with the crowd.

[Dónal Ó Ceallaigh]

I first saw Seve at the Carroll's Irish Open at Royal Dublin. I think it may have been on this occasion in 1985 (but possibly even 1983 or 1984):

https://www.rte.ie/archives/collections/news/21197875-ballesteros-wins-irish-open/

I recall getting his autograph at the practice green before he started his round. I just remember he was like a God; handsome, tall and so colourful in yellow slacks. The pen (biro) I have him was playing up and I think he made a couple of attempts to sign his autograph on a tiny little note book I had. It was so sad when he passed away.

[Mike_Clayton]

I first saw Seve at the Carroll's Irish Open at Royal Dublin. I think it may have been on this occasion in 1985 (but possibly even 1983 or 1984):

https://www.rte.ie/archives/collections/news/21197875-ballesteros-wins-irish-open/

I recall getting his autograph at the practice green before he started his round. I just remember he was like a God; handsome, tall and so colourful in yellow slacks. The pen (biro) I have him was playing up and I think he made a couple of attempts to sign his autograph on a tiny little note book I had. It was so sad when he passed away.

Donal,


I can't believe you weren't out watching me!


Seriously, I watched him play all four days of the 1978 Australian PGA at Royal Melbourne. Back when no one drove at the 10th green he took driver every day and smashed it all the way across the bunker and most of the really bad trouble. From there he blew it out of the sandy, heathland to a few feet and made 3 birdies and a par.
Alister MacKenzie would have loved the audacity and skill it took to hit those drives (one one of the best holes he ever built) and anyone who thought Seve a bad driver clearly didn't see those shots.
I played with him a bit and when people ask me the highlight of my 15 seasons on the European Tour I always say "playing with Seve."


He was the best player ever to watch play the game.

[Thomas Dai]

One of the reasons I posted that link is there are likely some young guys here who never saw Seve in his prime or even saw him at all. They sure missed something.

Well done for appreciating this David and thus your post.
The number of times I’ve mentioned the names of elite players from yesteryear and seen blank expressions of non-recognition on the faces of modern era golfers continues to disappoint me. Rather sad.
Atb

[David_Tepper]

Stories from Seve's caddies (and others) here:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=seve+ballesteros+caddie+stories

[Tommy Williamsen]

I love the short game and practice it more than I do the long game. It is fun and Seve was as good as anyone.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PmBJChnsAM

Number five needed imagination and nerves of steel.

[Ira Fishman]

One of the reasons I posted that link is there are likely some young guys here who never saw Seve in his prime or even saw him at all. They sure missed something.

Well done for appreciating this David and thus your post.
The number of times I’ve mentioned the names of elite players from yesteryear and seen blank expressions of non-recognition on the faces of modern era golfers continues to disappoint me. Rather sad.
Atb

It is sad. Although not limited to golf. There is a recency bias in sports coverage that drives the phenomenon. No network wants their announcers to discount the greatness of current players even if only by implicit comparison. It also is driven by stats obsession. Seve’s brilliance can never be captured by stats.

[mike_beene]

Question: was it Seve who first used the low hands, wide low stance sand game? Was it his influence that we see in current sand play? I have that impression, but not sure it is correct. Did he ever use a 60? I remember he used the STX putter at some point. Not to thread Jack, but I think you guys are a good source.

[Tom_Doak]

Question: was it Seve who first used the low hands, wide low stance sand game? Was it his influence that we see in current sand play? I have that impression, but not sure it is correct. Did he ever use a 60? I remember he used the STX putter at some point. Not to thread Jack, but I think you guys are a good source.

If Seve had used a 60 degree wedge he would have made it go back over his shoulder!


I didn’t get to see him as often as Clayts, but luckily for me, Ben Crenshaw loved to play practice rounds with Seve, and I got to walk inside the ropes with them at Butler National and the TPC at Sawgrass.  Included in that was a demonstration of his grip pressure (“like holding a baby bird”) and instruction on how to hit 2-iron out of a greenside bunker.


The shot he hit between the bunkers on the last hole at Birkdale (to secure a tie for second place, at age 19) is a testament to his genius.  Nobody else would ever have seen it, much less tried.

[Mike_Clayton]

The shot over the wall in Switzerland was beyond belief. (European Masters 1993)
Billy Foster come into the player's lounge and said "Ive just seen the greatest shot ever hit"
I went back the next year and saw the plaque marking the spot.
 It was crazy how close to the wall it was - and I asked Billy if that was where the ball really was.


The amazing thing was despite Billy imploring him to chip out Seve insisted it was possible and took what Billy assumed was a sand iron from the bag. He walked out on to the fairway to watch, looked in the bag and the sand wedge was still there.
"My God - he's got a wedge."
It's maddening the TV didn't film the shot  (or the bunker shot at the 1983 Ryder Cup)- but he chipped in from the edge of the green for a birdie - only to lose to Barry Lane by a shot.

[Thomas Dai]

Question: was it Seve who first used the low hands, wide low stance sand game? Was it his influence that we see in current sand play? I have that impression, but not sure it is correct. Did he ever use a 60? I remember he used the STX putter at some point. Not to thread Jack, but I think you guys are a good source.

The wide stance and low hands approach to bunker play goes back way beyond Seve. Yee olde photos show elite players from decades before adopting such a technique. Each to their own if it works successfully.
Atb

[Jim_Coleman]

    My favorite Seve story only tangentially involves Seve. He was playing a match against Azinger (Ryder Cup maybe?). Azinger was standing over a ball in a very bad lie, shaking his head. Seve came by and Azinger asked for relief, which Seve denied. “Fine,” said Azinger, “It’s your ball.”
   I hope it’s true. 🤷‍♂️

[jeffwarne]

The shot over the wall in Switzerland was beyond belief. (European Masters 1993)
Billy Foster come into the player's lounge and said "Ive just seen the greatest shot ever hit"
I went back the next year and saw the plaque marking the spot.
 It was crazy how close to the wall it was - and I asked Billy if that was where the ball really was.


The amazing thing was despite Billy imploring him to chip out Seve insisted it was possible and took what Billy assumed was a sand iron from the bag. He walked out on to the fairway to watch, looked in the bag and the sand wedge was still there.
"My God - he's got a wedge."
It's maddening the TV didn't film the shot  (or the bunker shot at the 1983 Ryder Cup)- but he chipped in from the edge of the green for a birdie - only to lose to Barry Lane by a shot.

Amazing stuff. Just watched the recap clip of the event and the photo
I suppose? he used the PW due to the lack of bounce allowing him to open the face and create more loft than his SW?
Or maybe he wanted a little slice to boot:)

[DFarron]

Sadly he went down the rabbit hole of jumping from teacher to teacher and never got back his full swing artistry

[Rob Marshall]

Sadly he went down the rabbit hole of jumping from teacher to teacher and never got back his full swing artistry

Wonder if that wasn’t from the early stages of the brain tumor.

[Mike_Clayton]

    My favorite Seve story only tangentially involves Seve. He was playing a match against Azinger (Ryder Cup maybe?). Azinger was standing over a ball in a very bad lie, shaking his head. Seve came by and Azinger asked for relief, which Seve denied. “Fine,” said Azinger, “It’s your ball.”
   I hope it’s true. 🤷‍♂️

It was an exhibition match with Tony Johnstone - all done in good humour.

[Mike_Clayton]

The shot over the wall in Switzerland was beyond belief. (European Masters 1993)
Billy Foster come into the player's lounge and said "Ive just seen the greatest shot ever hit"
I went back the next year and saw the plaque marking the spot.
 It was crazy how close to the wall it was - and I asked Billy if that was where the ball really was.


The amazing thing was despite Billy imploring him to chip out Seve insisted it was possible and took what Billy assumed was a sand iron from the bag. He walked out on to the fairway to watch, looked in the bag and the sand wedge was still there.
"My God - he's got a wedge."
It's maddening the TV didn't film the shot  (or the bunker shot at the 1983 Ryder Cup)- but he chipped in from the edge of the green for a birdie - only to lose to Barry Lane by a shot.

Amazing stuff. Just watched the recap clip of the event and the photo
I suppose? he used the PW due to the lack of bounce allowing him to open the face and create more loft than his SW?
Or maybe he wanted a little slice to boot:)

 I assume he used a wedge because he was 110 yards away - at least - and thought he needed it to reach the green.
Either way - no one else even thinks of hitting the shot, let alone pulling it off.

[Thomas Dai]

In view of Mikes comments above time to post this …. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=OrP5R3gFAgo
Enjoy.
Atb

[Jim_Coleman]

Thomas:  Great link! The best part is his Seve impression. Perfect.