How Spaniards Have Lit Up The World of Golf

JON RAHM’S victory at the 2023 Masters meant he was the fourth Spaniard to claim the Green Jacket. He followed the legendary Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and Sergio Garcia.

Spanish golfers have thrilled galleries all around the world with their swashbuckling style of play.

Here, we look at some of their most memorable moments on the world stage.

1976 Open, Royal Birkdale

This was where it all began. Johnny Miller won his second major but after the tournament everybody was talking about a sensational performance by a 19-year-old called Severiano Ballesteros. He led after 54 holes in his tournament debut. Unsurprisingly, nerves got the better of him on the final day. After 12 holes he was seven over par, but he birdied three of the final six holes to tie Jack Nicklaus for second place. He had holed a series of putts and played a number of wondrous recovery shots, with Nicklaus predicting that it wouldn’t be long before the Spaniard won his first major. He was right - we would only have to wait three years.

1983 Ryder Cup, Palm Beach Gardens

European golfers had joined the cause in 1979 but the United States continued to dominate the Ryder Cup. Tony Jacklin was appointed captain for the 1983 match and one of his first tasks was to persuade Ballesteros, who was in dispute with the European Tour, to play for his team. He eventually agreed. Jacklin’s team lost 14.5-13.5 at Palm Beach Gardens, coming within a whisker of achieving a historic first victory on American soil. The players were devastated. Not Seve though - in the aftermath of the defeat he told the team that he now knew that Europe could win the contest. And they did precisely that at The Belfry two years later.

1984 Open Championship, St Andrews

With Tom Watson in trouble at the Road Hole, Ballesteros came to the 18th at the Home of Golf knowing the he needed a birdie to have any chance of winning. Watson was looking for a third successive victory and led after 54 holes, but the Spaniard reeled him in. He left himself a curling putt on the final hole and as it disappeared into the hole he launched into an iconic celebration. His final round of 69 gave him a two-shot win ahead of Watson and Bernhard Langer.

1991 Volvo PGA Championship, Wentworth

It had been a while since Ballesteros had won a tournament but he opened with a 67 and followed it with rounds of 69 and 65 to take a two-shot lead into the final round. A nervous Seve struggled in the final round and when he came to the 17th he hit his drive right, into the trees. But he still had a shot. As he addressed the ball he turned to a spectator who was willing him on and said: “”Stay still if you don’t mind please. I know you are nervous, but I am too…” He would finish with a 70 to tie with Colin Montgormrie. At the first playoff hole Ballesteros hit a buggy with his drive, struck his second shot to three feet and holed the putt for a winning birdie. Only Seve!

1993 European Masters, Crans Sur Sierre

Having already won three times at the Swiss Alpine venue, Ballesteros birdied five holes on the trot and stepped on to the 18th tee needing a birdie to be in with any hope of catching Englishman Barry Lane. His tee shot went way right, coming to rest just five feet from an eight-foot high wall standing between his ball, a swimming pool and the green, some 130 yards away, with only the smallest of gaps to be seen between the wall and a string of branches. Seve laid the face of his sand wedge wide open and fired the ball almost vertically up over the wall, but beneath the tree limbs. The ball came to rest on the edge of the green and Ballesteros then chipped it into the hole. Of course he did. In the end, he came up one shot short.

1995 Ryder Cup, Oak Hill

By 1995 Seve’s powers were seriously on the wane. He was sent out first in the final-day singles and faced Tom Lehman, then one of the best golfers in the world. Lehman won the match 4&3. It was as one-sided as the score suggests but that doesn’t even begin to tell the story. Ballesteros hit the ball all over the place but produced a series of miraculous recovery shots that had Lehman shaking his head in disbelief. And Europe would go on to win the match. Lehman would later say: "When you are playing with Seve you look over at him and his body language is screaming, No matter what horrible place I have hit my golf ball to, the next shot is going to be the greatest shot you have ever seen.'"

1997 Ryder Cup, Valderrama

This was a jewel in the crown for Spain. The contest was awarded to the country in recognition of Seve Ballesteros’ contribution. Not only was it staged at the magnificent Valderrama Golf Club but Ballesteros named captain, with Miguel Angel Jimenez as his deputy. And Seve was everywhere. As Europe’s top players would be standing over the ball, Ballesteros would suddenly appear. He even tried to tell Colin Montgomerie, then in his prime, how to play the 17th. Europe would go on to beat the USA. Some said that the victory was achieved despite Seve’s presence, rather than because of it!

1999 Masters, Augusta National

Jose Maria Olazabal won The Masters in 1994 and seemingly had the world at his feet. But he was later bedevilled by crippling pain in his feet and at one point wondered if his career was over. But an Austrian doctor realised he had been misdiagnosed and the treatment he had been receiving was doing him more harm than good. He arrived at Augusta in April 1999 fit and pain-free, led after the second round and would go on to beat Davis Love by two shots and Greg Norman by three. After he holed the winning putt the tears rolled down his cheeks. Sergio Garcia finished the week as the low amateur.

1999 US PGA Championship, Medinah

Tiger Woods was as the absolute peak of his powers. Sergio Garcia was a 19-year-old wonderkid. At the 16th hole in the final round, Garcia hit his tee shot to the base of a huge tree. It looked like he had no shot but he knew that he had to risk everything if he was to have any chance of catching Woods. He addressed the ball, swung and later admitted that he closed his eyes at impact. As the ball soared into the air Garcia ran up the hill after it, leaping into the air to see where it finished. Incredibly, he found the putting surface. He would eventually come up one shot shy. Many predicted it would be start of a long rivalry between Woods and Garcia. The Spaniard would go close many times but he had to wait until 2017 before claiming his first major, The Masters.

2012 Ryder Cup, Medinah

Seve Ballesteros had died the previous year but he was still a strong presence under Jose Maria Olazabal’s captaincy. His image adorned the team’s shirts and Olly had made it clear from the start that he wanted to win back the Ryder Cup for his friend. On the Saturday afternoon that looked highly unlikely. The home side led 10-4 until Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald defeated Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker on the final green and Ian Poulter produced a stunning finish in partnership with Rory McIlroy to beat Jason Dufner and Zach Johnson, also on the final green. So the USA led 10-6. But Europe produced a sensational comeback in the Sunday singles, They won the first five, and then Garcia and Lee Westwood also won. It all came down to Martin Kaymer, who beat Stricker on the at the 18th to ensure that Europe couldn’t lose. And when Francesco Molinari halved the final singles with Woods, Europe had produced a highly unlikely victory. They had won the singles 8.5-3.5. A tearful Olazabal could barely speak at the end of it all as he dedicated the win to Ballesteros.

2013 Hong Kong Open

Miguel Angel Jimenez first won the Hong Kong Open in 2004. When he won it for the fourth time in 2012 he became the oldest winner on the European Tour at the age of 48. Twelve months later he turned up to defend his title and, lo and behold, he won it again, beating his own record as the tour’s oldest winner. It was his 20th success since turning 40.

2017 Masters, Augusta National

Sergio Garcia had come close to winning his first major many times but he kept coming up short, so much so that he told the media that he didn’t think he had what it took to pull it off. But, finally, at his 74th attempt, it all came good for the Spaniard at Augusta National in 2017. He went toe to toe with England’s Justin Rose and after 72 holes they could not be separated, finished the week level on nine under par. But this time he was not to be denied and beat Rose in a sudden-death playoff. 

Ballesteros & Olazabal, Ryder Cup

The master and the pupil formed a wondrous partnership in the Ryder Cup. They were paired together 15 times, winning 11 times and losing just twice. They brought the best out of one another but their partnership was not without controversy - there were several clashes with American opponents, most notably involving Paul Azinger.