Menu
If you were around in the late 70’s and 80’s and you liked golf at all you were probably familiar with Seve Ballesteros. He was wild and powerful, yet possessed a magician’s touch to extract himself from self-inflicted trouble, usually off the tee. His swing had a certain silky smoothness, powered by an early turn of his upper trunk, then exploded into the ball with a massive forward drive of the lower body, finally ending in a flourish reminiscent of Arnold Palmer. His aggressive nature led to more comparisons with Palmer, and he became known as the European Arnie. He was fun to watch, as his lack of precision lent an air of impending calamity every time he took it back, and as he leaned and twisted into his finish it seemed as if he were willing the ball back onto the field of play. Of course, to win 5 majors and 45 European Tour events you have to have control of the ball, but his record in the PGA Championship and US Open Championship, where thick rough makes recovery difficult, is some indication that he did not quite have enough control to take his place among the top few players in history. That said, you won’t find anyone who would fail to place him among the top 20 of all time, and certainly he would be among the most entertaining and charismatic players ever to play.