GOLF:IN SOME of Ireland's finest golf clubs – old and new – the evidence of Seve Ballesteros' affinity with the sport here is evident. In The Royal Dublin GC on the Bull Island his name is proudly on a board to acclaim him as an honorary life member; and outside the clubhouse of The Heritage resort in Co Laois stands a life-size statue of the great man in classic follow-through pose.
The impact of Ballesteros on golf in Ireland was immense. Just as his flamboyant shots from the unlikeliest places enthralled fans around Europe, the Spaniard endeared himself to Irish hearts in the manner in which he treated the Irish Open as second in importance only to the British Open in Europe.
Ballesteros won three Irish Opens, in the days when it was sponsored by Carrolls and drew huge crowds to the links courses in north Dublin which staged the tournament in the late 1970s through the 1980s.
The first came at Royal Dublin in 1983, where he compiled rounds of 67-67-70-67 for a 271 total which left him two shots clear of Brian Barnes, with Nick Faldo and Brian Marchbank five shots adrift.
His second win over the Royal Dublin links in 1986 was far more dramatic, as huge galleries lined the famous 18th hole, known as The Garden, to watch Ballesteros duel with Bernhard Langer. Ballesteros shot 70-69-73-66 for a 278 total, which left him level with Langer after 72 holes. Langer had shot a final 63 to get into the play-off . . . but Ballesteros sank a 45-footer for birdie on the first play-off hole to claim the title.
His reaction to holing that putt was to engage in a series of fist pumps akin to a boxer belting a punch bag, and gardaí rushed on to the green to protect him from the crowds who had taken the Spaniard to their hearts.
That win was Ballesteros’ first of the season but it was to inspire him to claim another three: French Open, Sanyo Open and Benson and Hedges International.
The third Irish Open title was achieved at Portmarnock in 1986 – one of six wins that season as he topped the European Tour moneylist for a fourth time – where he shot rounds of 70-69-73-66 for 285 which left him two strokes clear of Rodger Davis and Mark McNulty.
A further link with Ireland was formed in 2002 when the Seve Trophy – a biennial match featuring Britain and Ireland against continental Europe – was staged at Druids Glen in Wicklow, where Ballesteros actually beat Colin Montgomerie in their singles although his team lost out to Monty’s men.
Then, in 2007, Ballesteros captained the continental Europe team in the Seve Trophy match played over the course he designed with Jeff Howes at The Heritage in Killenard, Co Laois.
