Javier Ballesteros, the son of the late golfing legend Seve, will follow in the footsteps of his father this week when he plays in his first professional tournament at the same venue where Seve made his professional debut in 1974.
Javier, who plays off a handicap of 0.4, has received an invite for the Peugeot Tour this weekend at Sant Cugat, where he will play alongside two-time European Tour winner Pablo Larrazábal in the Pro-Am.
“When I registered for the Peugeot Tour event at Sant Cugat I didn’t know that my father played his first professional tournament here and now that I know, it’s double the excitement for me,” said the 21 year old.
“My goal for this competition is enjoy it. I don’t set goals when I play a tournament, especially being an amateur. What I have to do is enjoy and learn. I have no extra pressure being Seve’s son, I don’t really have anything to prove. I’m just going to be myself.”
Ballesteros has yet to decide whether or not he will turn professional but insists that he will finish his education before embarking on a career in the sport, on the advice of his parents.
“I have always played golf,” said Ballesteros, who is studying Law in Madrid. “I was on the national team when I was 14 to 16 years old, and being surrounded by golf at home always made me think about being a pro in the future.
“But I have to finish University first. It is something my parents have always told me to do, especially my father, and that is my priority. Then we will see. I have not made a schedule or set a time. It’s not just a case of turning professional as soon as I finish college. We will just see what happens.”
