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Seve was a Spanish golfer who reached No 1 in the World rankings and became one of the world’s leading sportsmen of his era, winning 90 tournaments, including five major titles. In addition to that he was also a very popular figure, especially in Britain, as he won the GB Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988. He also captured the US Masters in 1980 and 1983 at Augusta, in Georgia. Three of his brothers also became professional golfers as they learned on the beach near their home in Spain. At 23 he became the youngest winner of the Masters, until ‘Tiger’ Woods did so at 21. He led the World rankings for 61 weeks and in 1999 was inducted into the Golfing Hall of Fame. He played in the Ryder Cup for GB and Europe, also later captaining the team, and played until health reasons caused him to retire in 2007. In 2008 he suffered a brain tumour, but lived on for three years until dying, still very young. ‘Tiger’ Woods called Seve “one of the most exciting and talented golfers to ever play the game”. He had turned professional at the age of 16 and his 1980 US Masters win was the first by a European player.
