Philadelphia, PA (My Sportsbook) - For years, Seve Ballesteros never seemed to be in trouble, no matter how much trouble he was really in.
After all, this is a man who hit a shot from the parking lot during one of his British Open victories.
Towards the mid-90s, Ballesteros was a shell of himself on the golf course. He sprayed the ball all over the place, but on occasion, could still summon up the imagination to hit some miracle shot over a lake and save par.
Ballesteros was as tough as anyone on the golf course. He won three British Opens and two Masters in what might have been the greatest era in golf. Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd and Tom Watson still lingered on the scene, while Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Nick Price and Greg Norman emerged.
Ballesteros did it with a swagger reminiscent of Arnold Palmer. The word most often associated with Ballesteros, and pirates for that matter, was "swashbuckling." Seve had an aura. He knew he could do anything on a golf course and he knew you knew it too.
No one knew it better than the American Ryder Cuppers. Ballesteros was largely the reason Nicklaus campaigned to the European Tour to add non-British players into the competition. Seve was just getting too good and the Americans were too dominating.
Boy did all that change. Ballesteros might be the single most important reason for European Ryder Cup success, even now. His partnership with Jose Maria Olazabal, dubbed the "Spanish Armada," was an insult to the King's Navy, but also appropriate. That pair was the most successful team in Ryder Cup history and Ballesteros won all of those matches in his own confrontational way.
He once battled Paul Azinger and Chip Beck at the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah. The Spaniards and Azinger were sniping the whole time and when an illegal drop was attempted, Azinger put a stop to it. Then the Americans tried to change balls in play. Ballesteros called the U.S. on it. Zinger told him they weren't cheating. Ballesteros replied, "breaking the rules and cheating are two different things."
After that match, Ballesteros told reporters, "The American team has 11 nice guys...and Paul Azinger." This isn't to say that Azinger was the only player who had a beef with Seve. Tom Kite and Tom Lehman have told stories. Heck, even Ballesteros' own 1997 Ryder Cup team which he captained found him overbearing.
After his Ryder Cup captaincy, Ballesteros faded away almost entirely. He fought severe back injuries, but acknowledged once he turned 50 that he wanted to try the Champions Tour. Ballesteros' body could no longer hold up to his high standards for championship golf.
That was on the golf course.
Now, it's real life.
Ballesteros admitted recently that he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. There has been speculation that after he was sent to the hospital after losing consciousness last week, Ballesteros was in some trouble.
A biopsy is still pending. Ballesteros is saying all of the right things about overcoming the illness and fighting with everything he's got. He will need to, but his fighting spirit has always been one of his defining characteristics.
The golf world, no matter how little exposure Ballesteros has these days, needs Seve. The game is devoid of personality, and he has it. Even before this Ryder Cup, he said he hoped the U.S. won so that it was interesting again.
We can all hope for success when someone is sick and facing an uphill battle. For golf fans, keeping Seve healthy and fighting is a must. Ballesteros is always good for a quote here and there, even if it's baseless and irrational.
But that's part of his charm, too. Ballesteros is a wild-card and cares very little what you think of him. Now, he'll need some thoughts and prayers sent his way.
I'm not worried. If Seve can get up and down from a parking lot, he can tackle this.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
- Fred Couples is really bringing Michael Jordan to the Presidents Cup next year. He believes Jordan's winning attitude and team success will help the side. This was a funny idea when Couples got the job, but it just seems silly now. Yes, Jordan is friends with Tiger Woods, but if Couples needs that kind of inspiration for his top player, then he's got bigger problems. Oh, and according to golfdigest.com, Couples' people are still trying to reach Robin Williams to be part of the team in some capacity. This is just too much.
- According to the BBC News, an environmental expert says that St. Andrews could fall into the North Sea by 2050. Probably not a problem Old Tom Morris foresaw in the mid 1800s.
- Zach Johnson's win at the Texas Open is a perfect example of what the Fall Finish can do for a player. Without an impressive field on hand, Johnson got the win, and can use this victory as a boost of confidence. Mike Weir and Justin Leonard did it last year. It's not all about guys chasing their cards or a first win.
- Hal Sutton is scheduled to make his Champions Tour debut this week at the Administaff Small Business Classic. Sutton is another in the long list of players who have not played well in years, then join the Champions Tour in hopes of winning right away. Just doesn't happen. Curtis Strange and Ben Crenshaw limped into the elder circuit and have yet to visit the winner's circle. Sutton will have fun and win some loot, but does anyone think he will be ready to contend with Jay Haas, Loren Roberts, Scott Hoch and Bernhard Langer?
- Non-golf thought - These baseball playoffs are interesting. With my Phillies in the NLCS, I couldn't even look at the ninth inning of Game 1, and that's with the best closer in the National League on the hill. Monday night, I was nodding off on the couch, but there's nothing like a galactic home run from Matt Stairs (who I swear I thought was the catching instructor the other day.) If the Phillies make it to the World Series, I may not survive.
