Golf greats arrive for the funeral of Ballesteros

PEDRENA, Spain - the melancholy wail of a lone bagpipe, some of the greatest golfers of Europe joined family, friends and local residents Wednesday at the funeral of Severiano Ballesteros, emotional tribute by final dynamic Spanish that brings the European game.

son of Jasper Juinen/Getty ImagesSeve Ballesteros Javier transported the urn with the ashes of his father in the funeral service for great golf on Wednesday.

The captains of Ryder Cup Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance and Jose Maria Olazabal and players such as Miguel Angel Jimenez walk together in silence in the procession of the Ballesteros family houses of the Church of San Pedro Pedrena.

Young boys and girls wore replicas of the Navy blue suit that Ballesteros worn during his first British Open victory in 1979. They each had a 3-iron, the only club Ballesteros owned when he learned to play golf.

About 400 people packed the Church provide Ballesteros with a final farewell, until his ashes were distributed under a Magnolia family home in this tiny fishing village in the North of the Spain.

Ballesteros, a five times winner major and the Ryder Cup stalwart, died Saturday at the age of 54 years, following a cancerous brain tumour.

"He was so young and such a great man.". "A great champion - best Europe never had", said Torrance.

Eldest son of Ballesteros, Javier, transported the URN holding Spanish golf ashes of great in front of the procession, with the dark notes of a single Piper punctuating the opportunity on a cloudy day in the village off the coast of the Bay of Santander.

The crowd of up to 1,000 gathered outside the Church is broke into applause ash Ballesteros reaches the Church. Locals, friends and others watched from one of the three screens Giants set up outside.

"With hard work, he went from nothing to everything, his dream to be the best and to be at the heart of the people," said nephew Ivan Ballesteros, who was flanked by sons of Javier and Miguel golfer on the altar of the Church. "" "". Ultimately, he decides when and where it ended. "My friend of resting, resting Seve".

Inside the church family members wept and adopted, and friends and Pedrena residents watch outside after applaud warmly.

"It is not a farewell - we know that you'll always be by our side," son of Ballesteros said Miguel.

Brother Ballesteros Vicente picked up the URN - which was over two golf clubs and a golf ball at the foot of the altar - and moved the Church to the family home, where a private family ceremony took place before the ashes were placed beneath the magnolia tree overlooking the Real Club de Golf nearby courses of Pedrena where he began his career.

"We wanted to be here to support the Seve and wish him the best." We loved him, he was great, "Faldo said." "It is a sad time, we have lost someone very special. European golf needs Seve a large debt. It was the best singer that we could have dreamed. ?

Woosnam said Ballesteros has made to European golf what Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus made for the American tour. Spanish won a record 50 European tour and has led Europe to the victories of the Ryder Cup both as player and captain.

His British Open victory at Royal Lytham and St. Anne in 1979 was only the second for a European player for 28 years and first since 1907. Angry Spanish with a flair for theatre won the Open in 1984 and ' 88 and the masters in ' 80 and ' 83.

"He put Europe on the map will travel around the world," said Woosnam, a champion of masters Companion. "The Ryder Cup is one of the biggest events in the world and it is Seve."

Ballesteros will be remembered not only for the many victories, but also the manner in which he obtained, with daring and brave shot-making. Faldo said 3-wood Ballesteros, which helped him reduce by half the final hole at the 1983 Ryder Cup is the biggest coup that he had witnessed.

Coming from a humble background, Ballesteros has learned to play golf using only a 3-iron, part of the reason for which it was inventive coming up in most of the other players could not imagine photo.

"I am happy that everyone is all talk 3 - iron because that is how he began Golf," Faldo said. "I believe that the 3-iron live on.". "He wanted to give the world a lesson in bunker".

Faldo, Woosnam and Montgomerie said that all the world hope that the European tour would take account of the suggestions to change the logo of the tour to include the image emblematic of Ballesteros pumping his fist after sinking the putt that won the 1984 St. Andrews Open.

"We look at it nice and calmly, and if we consider the image of the player alone at this time it would be Seve," European tour Executive Director, said George O'Grady. "."

Ballesteros had 87 victories in tournament of his career and won 22? points in 37 games in eight Ryder Cups. He is the captain of Europe to victory at home in Valderrama in 1987.

Tributes to Ballesteros found along the route of the procession, mainly in the form of Spanish flags with black ribbons associated with them. Photos and messages of support were also show in the city of almost 1 500,

"Its roots were here in Pedrena, he never forgot that," said Asuncion Sota, a cousin of Ballesteros. "Seve may have passed but his soul lives here forever."