Seve Ballesteros Made European Golf and He'll Be Missed

European golf weeps today.

All of golf weeps today.

So few sports legends are known and remembered by one name. Seve is one of them.

Severiano "Seve" Ballesteros is gone from the world we know, but the Seve we remember will always be around.

Seve had spirit, charisma, bravado and charm rolled into one young swashbuckling Spaniard that brought European golf back from its comatose state.

He transformed the Ryder Cup from an American entitlement into a frolicking brawl of sorts—the kind that brought out national pride, the kind of event that made crowds not want to cheer, it made them want to holler.

Seve has left us. He was the victim of cancer, and he fought one of its nastiest forms. There was so much fight in him.

Those of us who met the young Spaniard, who shared that magnificent smile of his, those of us who saw the mischievous gleam in those dark eyes of his will never forget him.

His spirit has and will always permeate the European Tour. He has been an inspiration for generations of golfers. Italian teenager Matteo Manassero adores him and fancies his game as Ballesteros-like.

I can still hear him describing a lousy day with the putter as, "Eeeeeez no good."

Seve didn't have many lousy putting days. There were not countless hours with swing gurus. Seve simply picked up the club and showed what can only be described as artistry. He could escape from trouble like no other. He never met a difficult shot he didn't like. He was touch and feel personified.

Today they stopped play at the Open de Espana for a minute. Everyone stopped, and heads bowed as they remembered the man who WAS Espana.

Fittingly, a light rain fell upon the el Prat course Saturday at the Club Real de Golf.

It was no doubt, heaven weeping for this wonderful son of Spain.

For so many years, he was Spain's Seve, Europe's Seve, the Ryder Cup's Seve.

And now he is God's Seve.