R&A To Celebrate Iconic Life of Seve Ballesteros

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As Nick Faldo looks on, Severiano Ballesteros wins The British Open Championship at Royal Lytham St Annes in England on July 18, 1988. (Photo by Duncan Raban Popperfoto via Getty Images)

It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years now since the passing of the great Seve Ballesteros at the young age of 54.

Considered one of the greatest golfers of all time, and the most charismatic of his generation, Serveriano Ballestero passed away on May 7, 2011, after being diagnosed with brain cancer two years earlier.

With the 10-year anniversary upon us, the R&A has announced it will pay homage to three-time Open Champion through a trio of tributes including: the production of a feature-length documentary film, the publication of a photo-book by famed sports photographer David Cannon, and an 18-month exhibition at the British Golf Museum in St Andrews.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “Seve always was the supreme showman and he played a huge part in deepening my love of golf.

“I hope that fans will truly enjoy these wonderful tributes that tell the story of this charismatic, flamboyant and inspirational golfer who is without doubt one of the greatest of all time.

“As we approach a special milestone in the history of The Open and reflect back over its many unique moments, Seve’s iconic and joyful celebration after holing the putt on the 18th green at St Andrews in 1984 is one memory that always sticks out in my mind.

“Sadly, he was taken from us too young and we must settle for the memories. But what glorious memories they are.”

Seve, The Documentary

The documentary will profile Ballesteros’ life on and off the course, and feature contributions from his family, including his children Javier, Miguel and Carmen Ballesteros, and fellow sporting heroes, including close friend José María Olazábal, Sir Nick Faldo, Gary Player and Colin Montgomerie.

Seve Ballesteros
Seve Ballesteros holds the Claret Jug following his victory during The 113th Open Championship held on the Old Course at St Andrews, from July 19-22,1984 in St Andrews, Scotland. (Photo by R&A via Getty Images)

“My dad considered his winning moment at St Andrews the crowning achievement of a very special sporting career filled with tour wins, Major Championship victories and Ryder Cup triumphs, which makes it very fitting that we have been able to work with The R&A on these special tributes,” said Javier Ballesteros, son of Seve.

“For me, Miguel and Carmen, he was an even better father than he was a golfer which tells you everything about him as a man.

“We would like to thank our dad’s fans for all the passionate and continuous support throughout the years. It means so much to all of us that his legend lives on.”

“Seve: His Life through the Lens”

The R&A and the European Tour have also supported the publication of a new book “Seve: His Life through the Lens” which has been compiled by renowned sports photographer David Cannon of Getty Images and published by Vision Sports Publishing.

Seve Ballesteros
Seve Ballesteros looks on during The 105th Open Championship held at Royal Birkdale Golf Club from July 7-10,1976 in Southport, England. (Photo by R&A via Getty Images)

As well as photographs from Cannon’s portfolio and the archives of Getty Images, the book features many of the finest action images and portraits captured by other prominent golf photographers.

The book is now available to purchase at TheOpen.com/Shop.

Seve: Museum Exhibition

An exhibition celebrating the life of Seve will launch when the British Golf Museum in St Andrews is re-opened after refurbishment later this year. It will run for 18 months and visitors to the Home of Golf will enjoy a unique collection dedicated to his greatest achievements in golf, including winning The Open on three occasions in 1979, 1984 and 1988.

Severiano Ballesteros
A serie of posters featuring late Severiano Ballesteros is pictured during practice ahead of the 140th British Open Golf championship at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, Kent, south east England, on July 12, 2011. AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK (Photo: GLYN KIRK AFP via Getty Images)

A series of content dedicated to celebrating his life will also be published on RandA.org and TheOpen.com and The Open’s and R&A social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

A share of the proceeds from these tributes will be donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation to support the important work that it does to introduce young people to golf and encouraging their development and for vital scientific research that is used for the treatment of brain cancer.


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