TO A GREAT AND CHARISMATIC MAN

On hearing the news of Seve Ballesteros’s death I wanted to write something that just wasn’t a rehash of all that’s been said before.   So, I contacted Peter Mitchell and asked him to recall some of his memories.  I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I have.

This is what he said.......... 

'Yes, I was one of the lucky people who, while on the PGA European Tour played with Seve Ballesteros during many tournaments and practise rounds and enjoyed his sense of fun and his genuine desire to help others.  He actually helped me on several occasions and here are just a couple of short stories that show or at least to me show just how charismatic and generous he really was.'

Words of Wisdom

It was 1992 and I had led a few tournaments over the 1990 era and just couldn't finish off and win!!!!!.  I was playing with Seve in The German Masters for the first two rounds and was doing ok, but Seve asked me why I hadn't won any tournaments?  My reply was ‘it's because I haven’t played well enough throughout the tournament.’

Well he said to me, ‘I have only won one event out of the 25 or so - The Masters where I played great golf for just two rounds and hung on for dear life for the other two rounds.  So, if you have a very good round you just hang on as much and for as long as you can until the end of the tournament and hopefully you would have won!!!!!!!!’  Well a few weeks later I did win and as Seve said in a roundabout way ‘It's not and never easy but stay in there and give it your all’ and it worked, so thanks Seve!!!!.

And on another occasion

I was paired with Seve in the Lancôme Trophy for the first two rounds.  I didn't have a great opening round (70) I think, but I'd missed putts all the way round the course.  After we had finished Seve marched me straight to the putting green with Billy Foster his caddy, placed a towel on the floor then preceded to spend 1.5 hours virtually on all fours pulling and pushing the putter and me into all sorts of positions to help me putt much better.  I have to admit it was funny looking at the faces on all the other tournament pro's on the putting green watching Seve, the Number 1, in the world at that time giving me a very strong putting lesson.

Again it shows the passion of Seve to help all of us when he could and as much as he could.

Seve, thank you for giving me a chance to have known you and to have spent time in your company. You will be sadly missed by me and everyone in the golfing world.

Peter Mitchell May 2011

I have a brief story that my father told me about when he met Seve. He had won a local competition with Callaway to meet Seve along with 15 other people from around europe. Seve gave them his upmost attention from 9 a.m to 6 p.m for 3 days, he showed them every shot in the game from trick shots to the conventional along with playing holes also. My father will always remember Seve telling him " If you have an out of bounds on the left you line up and face the enemy on the left and vice versa". On the last night with Seve one of the Callaway representatives called him and told him to get ready for dinner at 7p.m , Seve said  he was not finished speaking and he would have dinner at 8p.m. Seve had breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday with the clients. My father said he had never been treated so well, Seve's generousity and commitment was far and above of what Callaway expected of him. I never met Seve but watched him play in the Irish Open in Ireland and he would always have the biggest crowds watching him.

Dara Ford

CJ