Spaniard Seve Ballesteros was one of the most entertaining and dominant players at Augusta in the 1980s, winning two green jackets and finishing in the top five on five other occasions.
Ballesteros, suffering from brain cancer, will be remembered Sunday on CBS with a 1 p.m. special, “Jim Nantz Remembers Augusta: Seve at the Masters.”
“We are honored to have the chance to pay tribute to one of the most important figures in the history of the game and arguably the greatest European champion golf has ever known,” said announcer Jim Nantz. “Since last fall, Seve has been fighting a courageous battle against brain cancer. We feel it is the perfect time to remind people of his great days, and some of his heartaches, at Augusta. We will remember it all and, most importantly, golf fans will be reminded of the swashbuckling Spaniard in his glory days.”
One of Ballesteros’ former rivals, Nick Faldo, has fond memories of a player who helped lift the European Tour.
“In many ways Seve was the European version of Arnold Palmer,” said Faldo. “He was a ‘grip it and rip it’ guy who was fun to watch, a brilliant golfer who enjoyed playing the game.”
