Wynyard on course for success as Seve jets in

"WHEN Seve Ballesteros plays well we are happy, when Seve Ballesteros plays badly we are sad. That's the sort of respect the golfing public have for a man we have all taken to our hearts over the years."

The effect the golfing legend has had over the past three decades was perfectly summed up by renowned commentator Renton Laidlaw yesterday.

Ever since Ballesteros, at the tender age of just 19, finished second to Johnny Miller in The Open Championship at Royal Lytham in 1976, the British public have adored the Spaniard as if he was one of their own.

But, despite being so long in the game, only once has he been able to showcase his talents on the North-East of England stage and give his supporters a chance to see a glimpse of his daredevil style.

At 47, the days of him wearing the green jacket after succeeding in the US Masters are behind him, as are the Sunday evenings lifting the famous Claret Jug aloft at the best courses this country has to offer.

Yet, next September, five times major winner Ballesteros will be a playing captain in the Seve Trophy at Tees Valley's Wynyard Golf Club, when he leads the European team into the four day team event against Colin Montgomerie's Great Britain & Ireland.

One of those rare moments to see a true great in action on your doorstep and an opportunity that is unlikely to be missed by those who have any sort of affection for the sport.

In 1999, Ballesteros was at Slaley Hall for the Compaq European Grand Prix. He made the cut and finished a respectable 39th on the final day. That was the last time the North-East had the pleasure of Ballesteros' company in a competitive nature, as the Northumberland course was taken off the European Tour calendar.

"I played up here a few years ago. I didn't win the tournament but I did enjoy it," said Ballesteros, speaking at Sedgefield's Hardwick Hall yesterday as he officially announced the Seve Trophy will take place on September 22-25 next year. "This is probably the first big event that has come to this area. I'm sure everyone will be excited and they will be very happy.

"I feel more comfortable playing golf in this country than I do even in Spain. People here have great knowledge of the sport and there is great interest in it here. It's going to be fantastic for me to play in this country again because of the great support I have had over here in the past."

Once nicknamed Europe's Arnold Palmer for his attacking style - preferring fantastic escapes from rough, sand, trees or even car parks to straight driving and comfortable approach shots - the fact unpredictable Ballesteros intends to play at Wynyard promises to both entertain and excite.

He may only be a year or two from qualifying for the Seniors Tour but the likeable man from Pedrena, on the north Spanish coast, has won the Open three times, the Masters twice and an incredible 48 European Tour events, the last of which was the Spanish Open nine years ago.

If he wants to help the Europeans off to the perfect start he will have to enjoy a better first hole than he did on his maiden visit to the tee yesterday.

"I drove my tee shot left, but I still managed to birdie it, even if I did have to take a mulligan," he said. (A mulligan is a repeat shot, a 'do-over' offered as a courtesy. It is not allowed by the rules and not practiced in tournaments, but it is not uncommon in casual rounds.)

Seve added: "But it's beautiful to play. There are some great mansions overlooking the course and it's really nice.

"It's a combination of a links course and a parkland course. It reminds me of courses like Valderama, Sotogrande in Spain and Woburn and Wentworth over here.

"It's very nice and in very good condition. It's only eight years old but it looks mature. The trees are well developed on nearly every hole and they help to make the course more mature. It will be good for the spectators to watch because of the way the course is designed."

The Seve Trophy will be played for the fourth time and, despite its infancy, it is regarded as one of the major reasons why the United States have been beaten on the last two occasions in the Ryder Cup.

And it is Ballesteros' reputation that has led to successful European team captain Bernhard Langer in the Ryder Cup already insisting that he is determined to force his way into the ten-man team at Wynyard.

Twenty of the best golfers this continent has to offer will be battling it out at Wynyard in 11 months time and Sky Sports will be there to ensure live action from each of the four days play is beamed around the world.

And the length of the competition, a day longer than the Ryder Cup, will allow the thousands of visitors to the region to sample a taste of North-East life. "In Spain people could try the tapas, people could try something else here, maybe the fish and chips," said Ballesteros.

Ballesteros confesses his greatest achievement, among many others, in the sport was when he overcame the exceptional Tom Watson to win the Open in 1984 at St Andrews. Now Wynyard are preparing for their finest hour.

Published: 12/10/2004