Two of the greatest names in golf, Olazábal and Ballesteros, took centre stage at Wentworth Club today as many of the world’s leading players assembled to honour and celebrate the life of the golfer known simply as Seve.
José Maria Olazábal and Seve’s nephew, Ivan, shared a platform just a few yards from the West Course where Ballesteros ruled supreme for many years to launch Olé Seve! in Aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation in an emotional Press Conference.
The invitational event, which will raise considerable funds in aid the Seve Ballesteros Foundation supporting Cancer Research UK, brought a glittering cast of Major Champions and European Tour winners to Wentworth Club to pay homage to the late Spanish superstar, who died on May 7 aged 54.
Olazábal was joined by Ivan spokesman for the Ballesteros family, with Seve’s brother Manuel and wife Olga and two of their four children, Roberto and Sergio, and Seve’s youngest son Miguel also present.
Olazábal, the 2012 Ryder Cup Captain and Ballesteros’s soul-mate, spoke in his capacity as host of the event, when he said: “We have lost a great man; an icon in the game of golf. Personally, I have lost a dear friend.
“He will always be present. He was a pioneer in the world of golf. He did things differently. He opened a lot of doors for the new generations. He changed the view on European golf. He made us believe that we could compete against players all around the world.
“But most importantly, I learned a lot of things from playing with him. It's the way he played on the golf course. His attitude on the golf course, he never gave up, he fought until the end the same way he did with fighting cancer. The passion he had for the game, he put all of his heart every day he went out on the golf course, and that's what I learned from him.
“Today is going to be a special day, a very important one for the Foundation, for Cancer Research UK, and for all of the people that are involved in today's Pro Am, all of the people that are donating things for the auction, thank you very much, from the bottom of my heart. “
The event had been planned for many months with all proceeds donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation in partnership with Cancer Research UK and features 22 teams with professionals including Major Champions Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen, Martin Kaymer, Paul Lawrie, Graeme McDowell and Olazábal.
Ivan Ballesteros also thanked everyone for their support, saying: “Seve, I talk about Seve in the present tense, because somehow I still feel his presence, and Seve is one of those very few people whose name will be alive forever, and he's had lots of legacies in the world of golf.
“But probably the most important legacy is the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. Seve fought cancer during two and a half years, but he's still fighting cancer with the help of everyone here today. And hopefully one day the Seve Ballesteros Foundation will be able to help people who are suffering and will suffer this terrible disease.”
The Seve Ballesteros Foundation is the Official Charity of the BMW PGA Championship with a number of fund-raising activities planned through the week.
Harpal Kumar, CEO of Cancer Research UK, commented: “Seve's experience has brought a very, very much needed spotlight onto brain cancer. It's not a type of cancer that's talked about very much, and indeed, we have to do an awful lot more research to really make an impact in this disease.
“So that's why we are honoured and delighted to be here today and thank Wentworth for putting this together, because it will raise vital funds that hopefully will make a huge difference to thousands of patients in the future, which is very much the legacy that Seve wanted to leave.”
