His career has been defined not only by what he won, but how he won.
"It was the greatest show on Earth," said Nick Faldo.
Ballesteros, five-time major champion whose incomparable imagination and fiery personality made one of the most significant figures in modern, is golf died Saturday after a cancerous brain tumour. He was 54.
Tiger Woods, "Seve was one of the golfers the most talented and excited to play the game," said on Twitter. "His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course can never be exceeded." His death came much too quickly. ?
A statement on the site Web Ballesteros Saturday early said he died peacefully at 2: 10 of the morning, local time, surrounded by his family at his home in Pedrena. It is in this small Spanish town where Ballesteros first wrapped his hands around a 3-iron gross and started to invent shots he would display on some of the most beautiful stages of golf.
He won the Masters at 23 years old, leading by 10 shots at one point in the final round. He was a three time winner of the British Open, at no time more than victory in 1984 in St. Andrews. He was also inspiring in Europe as Arnold Palmer was in America, a handsome figure who would fear no blow fire and often played where no golfer had never been.
"Today, golf lost a great champion and a great friend." "We also lost a great artist and Ambassador for our sport," said Jack Nicklaus. "Whatever golf this particular day, you always knew that you were going for entertainment." The enthusiasm of the Seve was just unsurpassed by anyone that I believe that ever played the game. ?
In a long list of spectacular photos, perhaps the most memorable came from a parking lot near the 16th fairway at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in the British Open in 1979. Leading by two at the last round, he led his balloon in the lot, had a car removed for his fall free, then fired his second shot to 15 feet and made birdie on his way to his first major.
"It was a man who had problems." Gary Player only for Seve, there is no disorder, "said."
Headlines such as "Inventor of Spanish Golf" and "life of a legend" was splashed through the Spanish media as athletes and other personalities from across the world made tribute Saturday.
"It's a very sad day for all those who love golf", Chief Executive of European tour George O'Grady said on the website of the tour. "Unique legacy of the Seve should be the inspiration he has given to so look, support and play golf, and finally to combat cruel illness with flair equal, passion and fierce determination." We've all been so blessed to live in his time. ?
President of the Spanish golf Federation Gonzaga Escauriaza called Ballesteros an icon for Spanish golf, a "unique, non-repeatable person". Lee Westwood, the player no 1 in the world, said on Twitter: "Seve's European golf what it is today."
His final challenge came from an unbeatable enemy: cancer.
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