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Ballesteros retires

16/07/2007

Veteran Spanish golfer Seve Ballesteros has announced his retirement from the sport with immediate effect.

The 50-year-old, a three-time Open champion and winning player and captain of Europe's Ryder Cup team, described it as "the hardest decision of my life" as he brought an end to his distinguished 30-year career.

"For a few months there was something confused inside me, an internal fight," he said.

"My head said 'I think you should retire' but my heart was telling me you would be better to continue playing and competing."

He continued: "I have to say that golf has given me so much over the years that it's really hard to give back even 25 per cent of how much I got. It gave me the pleasure of competing and feeling the glory of winning.

"It gave me the chance of travelling around the world and meeting people and the great feeling of people who showed me understanding and appreciation of what I have done in the game of golf.

"I feel a very, very lucky person."

Ballesteros has endured a difficult time of late and was this week forced to deny reports in the Spanish press that he had attempted suicide.

An erratic player and character at the best of times, the Spaniard found his career dogged by injury in recent years.

He took almost two years away from the game in 2003, before he returned to play the Madrid Open in October 2005.

Weight problems and a difficult period nursing a back injury hampered his game and although he attempted to join the Seniors Tour earlier this year, he played just one tournament in May when he finished joint last with Lee Trevino.

He said of the experience: "It was difficult for quite a while but finally I decided this year to go and try the Champions Tour.

"I went there, and the weather was nice, but I only played one tournament and I came back.

"That really made me think very deeply and really question either you continue or you stop playing. I made probably the hardest decision of my career and I decided to retire."

At his best, Ballesteros was undoubtedly one of the game's all-time greats and was as unpredictable as he was brilliant.

His five Majors – two Masters and three Open titles – were the obvious highs of his playing career.

Although he also won the BBC's sports personality of the year award in 1984 and was given the title of European player of the century in 2000.

He was also awarded the key to the city of Augusta in 1999 in recognition of his achievements at the Masters and will always be remembered among the game's all-time greats.

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