A Personal Tribute to Seve Ballessteros
16th May 2011

I first met Seve in 1978 when working with David Rutherford the External Affairs Director of Martini & Rossi UK we were responsible in staging the Martini International.

That year the Martini which moved venues each year at that time, was held at the RAC Golf & Country Club Epsom from the 18 -21 May 1978.

Severiano Ballesteros receiving the Martini Trophy in 1978

The young Seve won with rounds of 67,67,67,and 69 for a score of 270 and the first prize of £6000 - 2nd and 5 strokes adrift was another young star in waiting Nick Faldo. In his final round Seve holed a full 7 iron for an eagle 2 at the 8th hole. This was Seve's first victory on the European Tour,

The Captain of the RAC club Kenneth Wolstenholme in presenting the prize said that not only was it one of the best dry Martini's he'd experienced (no rain during the Tournament) but that we had seen the emergence of a star in the making.

During the tournament I got to know the truly "one off" Seve as I drove him to and from the hotel where we were staying.

George Simms was the press officer to the R&A and the company Colin Cowdrey and I had set up employed him as our consultant. In 1979 Seve won the Open Championship for the first time at Royal Lytham and St Annes and I remember driving Seve from the Prize Giving to the Press tent - a very excited and voluble young Spaniard indeed.

The following year 1980 Seve won the Masters for the first time and later that year played the PGA Championship at Royal St George's Sandwich when Nick Faldo was the winner.

However before the event Seve asked if he could stay with me and my family who he had met at various tournaments. By good fortune I had made a video of the last round of the Masters and Seve watched this every night describing in great detail every shot shown of him - the club he was using how he altered his stance and grip to fade or hook the ball. How he would lay up- float the ball onto the green sometimes avoiding back spin sometimes using it - absolutely fascinating.

In the midst of this he would take my two sons aged 17 and 15 out into our garden and give them pitching and chipping practice, as well as demonstrating himself how it should be done. I'm sure the fact that both boys became quite low single figure golfers had quite a lot to do with this week spent with Seve.

However he also discovered in the boy's playroom a dartboard - something he had never seen before. After explaining the rules he couldn't understand why you threw the darts from such a short distance. So as we had quite a large room we changed the board and threw from at least 25ft - with Seve hurling the darts like a javelin.

I noticed in one of the last intervews Ken Brown made with Seve in Spain that prominently in his games room was a dartboard!

The week passed without further incident and I continued to meet Seve particularly at the Martini International when in the 80's Wentworth was made the host club. Seve and Greg Norman seened to take turns at winning.

Whenever he won Seve had that anazing smile and genuine joy which lifted the occasion.

The last time I saw the great man was during the Canon shoot out series. Again held before the PGA Championship - I retired from organising golf events but those were preceious moments in meeting a very charismatic young man.

There are many other memorable incidents involving this remarkable golfer and man, but the few I've mentioned above show some of the indelible memories he left with me.

Stuart Barber