Jim McCabe who covers golf for the Boston Globe, is one of the reasons the Globe has the best sports section in the nation, day in and day out. His golf notes in the Sunday Globe yesterday paid a unique tribute to Seve Ballesteros whose meltdown (12) at the 18th hole of the opening rouand of Murphy’ Irish Open last week, may end the career of the colorful Spaniard who was disqualified for marking his score at the 18th a 10. Ballesteros who had taken a two-month layoff to reassess his game, has now withdrawn from the tough British Open. It’s hard to imagine a British Open without Ballesteros, for he has been a fixture in wvery one since 1975,” McCabe wrote.
“It should be offered as a confession right now so that all of this is in perspective,” McCabe qrote, “but I consider the British Open the most flavorful of all our golf championships and Ballesteros the most fascinating golfer of my time. It is a priceless combination gone forever and while all things must pass, it was tough to watch it come to such an ending.
…”Ballesteros in his prime was a genius the likes of which we may never see again. Oh, Tiger Woods is a treat and there a dozen plyers out there who can do marvelous things with club in hand.
…”But it wasn’t so much that he played brilliantly , it was the aura that surrounded him. Even now as he struggles to break 90, there is a nobility about Ballesteros that is hard to explain.”
As one who has never played golf but has watched the major golf tournaments which have been televised over the past four decades, this observer who began his newspaper career as as hockey writer more than a half a century ago, would like to add Amen to McCabe’s comments. The aura and nobility Ballesteros exuded in his good looks, stride and swing rtesembled the glow which surrounded Ted Williams in the on deck circle swinging three bats and then in the batter’s box which he rarely left during his trip to the plate.