Seve Ballesteros

Once in every generation a man comes along that dominates the game of golf. For me that was Seve Ballesteros and it was he alone that made me take up golf. Raven haired, lean, with dark brooding eyes, he had a burning desire to win every time he teed it up, I watched on TV, captivated as a youngster, as he came a brilliant 2nd to Johnny Miller in 1976 and then three years later finally won the Open for the first time.

By then I was already playing myself and in my own mind would always be Seve. No matter how hard the shot or how desperate the match situation, like him I always thought I could triumph. The only difference was he had the talent to deliver. No other golfer was responsible for catapulting European golf onto the world stage. He became the first European to win the Masters in 1980 and then repeated it with another win in 1983 at the start of reign of dominance of that event by the best Europe could offer.

However perhaps the most iconic victory was his 1984 triumph at St Andrews and that jig of delight on the 18th green after making a birdie which ultimately was enough for victory. It became a trademark of Seve's and he even had a tattoo of the picture on his arm.

By then Seve was in his pomp. He was the one golfer the Americans truly feared and had become a byword for talent, flair and doggedness. Like most geniuses he was a bit of a maverick and courted controversy, particularly with tournament rules officials and the media with his forthright views. However with a club in his hand he was mercurial.

It wasn't just his individual playing career that was sensational. His refusal to know when he was beaten transferred to the Ryder Cup and he was the fuse that blew the US domination away. As a player he formed a terrific partner with Jose Maria Olazabal who looked upon him as an older brother and arguably saved his own best golf for when he partnered Seve. It wasn't just on the course though, Seve was also a leader in the team room. He was part of the team that won for the first time since 1957 at the Belfry under Tony Jacklin's guidance in 1985 and again two years later when they won on American soil for the first time. He famously said "I look into their eyes, shake their hand, pat their back, and wish them luck, but I am thinking, 'I am going to bury you " and he usually did.

As a Ryder Cup captain he was every bit as determined to win as he had been when he played and he led the team to victory on Spanish soil in 1997. It seemed there had to be Seve clones as he was here, there and everywhere always in the heart of the action. The tears in the eyes of the great man as Europe triumphed showed exactly what it meant to him.

As a huge Seve fan it was agonising to see him struggle with his game in the latter part of his career and like a boxer taking on one too many fights I wish he had quit at the top rather than becoming a caricature of the golfer we all knew.

It was a huge shock when the news of his illness came out and typically he fought it with tenacity, grit and a lot of humour. Even as he battled the disease, he still found the strength to set up the Seve Foundation in connection with Cancer Research UK to raise money for research into brain tumours. I was saddened to wake up to the news this morning that he had finally lost his fight but will always remember him as THE golfer of my generation. Without him I wouldn't have been touched by this magical game and all it has given me. The word legend is bandied about way too often these days but Seve really was a true legend as well as a fine gentleman and inspiration. RIP Seve.