Man of mystical charm
Ballesteros epitomizes purity of game
Invariably, the question would be asked anywhere on the golf landscape: Were you a Palmer guy or a Nicklaus guy? Defensively, there'd be a pause to figure out how to offer an answer that wouldn't be interpreted as a slight to an American icon. Eventually, the fence would be straddled and tribute paid to Arnold Palmer's great dignity and Jack Nicklaus's unmatched success.
But always I would wonder: What was so hard about blurting out the truth, that while Palmer was a mountain of a man and Nicklaus incomparable, it was Seve Ballesteros who stirred my admiration.
That's right, a Spaniard. And not just any Spaniard, but one who built his legacy around a relentless quest to beat the Americans. But so what. My passion for golf never has been shaped by red, white, and blue emotions. What has captivated me has been the game's mystical charms; it humbly reminds you how imperfect you are, yet teaches you the lessons to work through those imperfections.
For me, no one epitomized the purity of the game like Ballesteros, for while we concede it's a simple concept - you hit the ball, go find it, then hit it again - only one player in my lifetime has followed that script with a magical flair that would leave you with breathless fascination. Ballesteros.
By now the news reports surrounding Ballesteros have been plentiful. The 51-year-old icon collapsed Oct. 6 at the airport in Madrid and has been hospitalized since. After days of speculation, the former British Open and Masters champion released a statement that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and yesterday he underwent an operation that lasted 12 hours. Originally intending to do a biopsy, doctors instead removed a sizable piece of the tumor during the procedure.
Ballesteros is conscious and resting in the intensive care unit of La Paz Hospital, but doctors said another update would not come until next week.
No, it doesn't sound good, but a few days before the report, Ballesteros released a statement that put the matter in perspective.
"During my career I was one of the best at getting around obstacles on golf courses," he said. "Now I want to be the best at confronting the most difficult match of my life with all my strength, and counting on all of you who are sending encouraging messages. I have always felt very close to people who suffer serious illness, even more severe than mine. I want to remind them that with courage, faith, serenity, confidence, and a lot of mental strength we have to face every situation no matter how difficult it is."
Indeed, his legacy is built around 87 worldwide wins that stretch from 1976 to 1995, and the three British Opens and two Masters rank as his crowning individual glories. Nowhere, however, was Ballesteros's imprint as significant as it was on the Ryder Cup, which he accepted as his personal crusade. The Americans had dominated the competition, but following Ballesteros's lead, the Europeans changed that landscape and transformed it from a competition into an event.
But it wasn't just his golf achievements, it was the way in which Ballesteros went about things. Saturated with duende, Ballesteros went beyond charisma; he had an aura about him. And even in the years when his golf skills had long since left him, the chance just to lay eyes on the man was something you couldn't pass up. No, it can't be explained, which is why I couldn't get out to the first tee fast enough that Tuesday morning at Royal Hoylake in the summer of 2006. Ballesteros was going to tee it up in the Open Championship for the first time in five summers and I had to watch.
When the opening tee shot went dead left, perhaps 40 yards wide of the fairway, and slammed off the back of the scoreboard, some of us in the gallery felt a sadness. What saved the moment was a look at Ballesteros, the great matador, who held his head high and marched toward his ball as if it was played the way he'd planned. Many of his shots that day were poor, but on several occasions he did something so splendid you couldn't help but smile like it were 1979 and a magician had the world of golf in his hands.
Today, we should have him in our prayers.
Four to remember
A foursome of great champions has been lost to the New England golf community in recent months. Warren Tibbetts and Ernie Doherty were amateur giants in their time, and Bob Crowley and Ross Coon were major forces on the New England PGA scene. Few played the game at a high level for a longer time than Crowley, though what many of us appreciated more was that he gave back to the game 100 times over. He was a gentleman of the greatest order, one who had a special relationship with the folks of Pine Brook CC. To know Coon was to know one of the game's great characters, a man talented enough to win the Rhode Island Open, the NEPGA Championship, and several NEPGA Player of the Year honors, but never so overly serious that he forgot to have fun along the way. "He was a beauty, a classic," said former NEPGA executive director Eddie Carbone, who will never forget that NEPGA Championship at Quidnessett CC in North Kingstown, R.I., when Coon reached out, gave him a warm embrace, and a big kiss. "You're beautiful," said Coon, and while we all felt similarly about Carbone, it was left to Coon to express it for all of us, in a style that was all his own.Charitable endeavor
His tee time was noon on a gorgeous fall day and nothing made more sense than that. The fact that he was still playing at 3 a.m. with glow balls and flashlights, well, that made sense to Harry Rose, too. The longtime assistant pro at Needham GC, Rose has twice battled cancer and so many times he has heard inspirational talks about conquering the disease. "Finally, I said to myself that I've got to do something about it," said the onetime Boston College football player and minor league baseball player. He decided on a round of golf at Needham GC that started at noon Oct. 2 and ended the next day at noon. It involved 45 miles of walking, more golf swings than he could count, and priceless help from members and friends. "It was great and I'm happy to have done it. But I'm also happy it's over," said Rose, who raised more than $10,000 for the Jimmy V Foundation. For more information, go to www.golfharrygolf.com . . . There's another story within the local golf community that has brought people together in a time of need. Irina Curtin, 33, the wife of George Wright GC's brilliant superintendent, Len Curtin, has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Her story and the efforts that are being made to help out are available at www.helpirinatofightcancer.com and to aid the cause, a charity tournament has been scheduled next Thursday at the Hyde Park course that Len Curtin has worked tirelessly to bring back to life. To play in the tournament or obtain more information on fund-raising options, call head professional Scott Allen at 617-364-2300.Mass. success
Frank Vana Jr., Jack Kearney, Mike Calef, and Phil Smith highlighted a dominating performance by Team Massachusetts, which rolled to its fifth straight win in the Tri-State Matches at the Country Club of Fairfield in Connecticut. The quartet accumulated the maximum 6 points each. Rounding out the team were Steve Tasho, Joe Keller, Paul Murphy, John Hadges, Brian Higgins, and Dan Falcucci . . . Steve Mann of Wollaston GC teamed with Mike Harney of Paul Harney's GC to shoot 5-under 66 and share first place with Todd Campbell of Ledgemont CC and the Nationwide Tour's Geoff Sisk in the pro-pro division of the annual Pro-Member Invitational at Woods Hole GC. In the pro-member division, Chip Johnson of Hatherly GC teamed with Michael Cooney for a 64, while Hank Newman and John Salvatore came in with a 69 to take the member-member division. Low pro honors were shared at 70 by Mann, Johnson, and Sisk . . . Rusty Gunnarson of Rochester GC enjoyed a full day of success at the opening event on the NEPGA Cape Cod Pro-Am Week calendar. With a 2-under 70 he took low pro honors, then he anchored the winning team at 15-under 129. At the second event at Pocasset GC, Tom Tobey and Mick Herron of Bay Pointe CC each shot 71 to share low pro honors with Joe Cordani of the CC of New Bedford. Cordani led the winning team effort . . . Scott Hickey of Norton CC shot par 72 and rolled to a three-stroke win in an NEPGA Pro-Am at Framingham CC . . . In the annual WGAM Sheeran Trophy for couples, Leigh and Victoria MacKay of Southers Marsh GC in Plymouth shot 79 to share first place with Mike and Gail Regan of Granite Links GC in Quincy . . . Congratulations to Mickey Walsh, who used a 6-iron to ace the 145-yard eighth hole at Niehoden GC in Wellesley.Caddie hack
Ever wonder what those guys attached to those big golf bags could do if given the chance? Well, you'll have a chance to find out when the annual ADT Golf Skills Challenge incorporates some popular PGA Tour caddies into the act. Mike "Fluff" Cowan, Joe LaCava, and Matthew Achatz will trade in the bibs for the clubs to participate in the Nov. 3 event at Aventura, Fla., which will air on NBC Dec. 27-28. Peter Jacobsen, who for years employed Cowan, will be involved, as will LaCava's boss, Fred Couples, and the man for whom Achatz works, Rocco Mediate. Rounding out the group will be Greg Norman and his caddie, son Greg Norman Jr.Q-School in session
School assignments have been issued for those whose dreams involve the PGA Tour and the first stage of qualifying gets underway Tuesday at six sites, four of which will feature golfers of local interest. The tournament in Florence, S.C., will include Michael Welch of North Quincy, Jason Caron of South Yarmouth, Kevin Silva of New Bedford, Steve Alminas of East Longmeadow, and a pair from Connecticut, John "Jumbo" Elliott and Steve Sokol. Rob Oppenheim of Andover, Keegan Bradley of Hopkinton, and Jason Parajeckas of Woburn will tee it up in St. Augustine, Fla. While Michael Sims, the former University of Rhode Island standout, will compete in Kingswood, Texas. The field in Key Biscayne, Fla., will include Jim Renner of Plainville, Matt Donovan of Pittsfield, and Michael Capone of Cranston, R.I., as well as two notable names - Erik Compton and Ty Tryon. Recipient of a heart transplant at the age of 12, Compton underwent another one five months ago, yet at the age of 28, he's onward with the pursuit of his career. Tryon was the high school senior who got through Q School in 2001, only to disappear in the demanding world of pro golf . . . Ben Wescoe of Yale shot 76-71-70 -217 to take medalist honors and lead Yale to victory in the ECAC Championship at Long Island National GC. Matt Belizze of Sacred Heart shot the tournament's low round, a 66, to share second place, while Colgate's Neil Thompson, a sophomore from Sherborn, had the next-best round, a closing 69 . . . UMass-Lowell finished third at the Southern New Hampshire Penmen Invitational. Patrick Bean shot 77-72 to pace the River Hawks . . . UML will join dozens of other New England schools when the fall season comes to a close Monday and Tuesday with the 74th annual NEIGA Championship at Captains GC in Brewster . . . Springfield College got a medalist performance from senior Greg Levings (76-73) en route to the NECC Championship at Chicopee CC . . . Harvard finished ninth and BC 14th at the Big 5 Invitational at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.