Severiano Ballesteros died in 2011, 13 years ago, but the legacy he left in the world of golf is so great that this Saturday he was the protagonist of the day, honored by the Ryder Cup held in Rome and which opened the second day with an emotional memory of the Spanish legend.
Because a track record like his, one that includes 5 Ryders, 2 World Cups, 3 British Opens and two Augusta Masters, can only be classified as that of a true legend of this sport. The Ryder fans know this and venerate him as they deserve, so much so that this Saturday, before the starting signal on Tee 1, they displayed a giant banner that occupied a good part of the stands with a heartfelt message: “Per semper nei nostri cuori” (Forever in our hearts).
A tribute that was watched attentively from the green by his son Javier and by another Spanish legend José María Olazábal, both also accompanied by the Englishman Luke Donald, European captain; and everyone was amazed seeing the display of that banner dedicated to Seve, with a photo of the golfer chasing a ball with his eyes clad in a blue t-shirt representing Europe.
“Thank you very much,” could be read in Javier’s mouth when the tribute ended. “Nothing, man,” Olazábal responded as he hugged him.
The passage of time does not matter because Seve will always be eternal, an infinite memory. And more in its competition, a Ryder that started in an unbeatable way for the Europeans with a stellar Jon Rahm who, with two ‘eagles’ and a magical final putt on Hole 18, rescued an epic tie in the afternoon to increase the advantage to five points (6 and 1/2 to 1 and 1/2) after the overwhelming and historic morning (4-0) in the ‘foursomes’.
And in order to assess the magnitude of Seve not only for the Spanish but for the world of golf, you only have to see what Rahm said after the match and the curious conversation he had with the Danish debutant Nicolai Hojgaard just before his second ‘eagle’, a ‘putt’ that unleashed madness at the Marco Simone in Rome where this Ryder Cup is held.
“I have to congratulate Nicolai because here, on the 18th, he gave me freedom and told me to make a putt, to try to do it,” explained the ‘Leon de Barrika’.
“And he said to me: ‘What would Seve do? Do it for Seve’. I don’t know if he would have done it like that, but I’m sure I’m glad he came in,” he said.
Because Seve’s shadow is eternal. His figure is eternal and his legacy infinite. Seve will be “forever in our hearts.”
