"Most of the things I have learnt inside and outside a golf course, were thanks to all the unique opportunities Seve offered me during so many years. He not only taught me what I know about the game of golf, but I also learnt from him many other values and lessons that not even the best universities can teach. He is always remembered and I will always be grateful to him. He was, still is, and will always be an inspiration.
Gracias Seve. "
Iván Ballesteros
Seve & Ivan Ballesteros. Snt. Andrews, October 2006
About Ivan Ballesteros
Professional golf player (Spanish PGA) and coach.
Iván Ballesteros has been linked to the golf world business for over 25 years. He holds a professional and coaching PGA licence, and a long experience with one of the greatest golf legends ever, the late Seve Ballesteros with whom he worked 14 years.
Involved in the Ballesteros group of companies since 1996, in 2004 he became personal assistant and manager of the legendary Seve Ballesteros. In 1999 he joined Amen Corner, a golf promoter company in Europe, and he became CEO in 2003 up until January 2013. During this time Iván Ballesteros was in charge together with his team, of 36 European Tour events in different countries (Spain, Portugal, Ireland, England, France, Thailand, Brunei and China). Iván Ballesteros was also involved in several golf course design projects with Seve Ballesteros´company, Trajectory, from 2003 to 2010.
First Executive Vice-president and one of the founder Patrons of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. Ivan was in charge of setting up this organisation in 2009, roll that he left in 2013.
Since 2013 Ivan Ballesteros lives in Hong Kong and works at EG(A)L, a sport management agency, specialised on event management, sponsorship, services for professional sportsmen and women, golf and football academies, and integrated sport marketing programmes.
2007, The Masters, Augusta National
About Seve Ballesteros
Seve Ballesteros (9 April 1957 – 7 May 2011) was a Spanish professional golfer, a World No.1 who was one of the sport's leading figures from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. A member of a gifted golfing family, he won more than 90 international tournaments in his career, including five major championships between 1979 and 1988: The Open Championship three times and the US Masters Tournament twice. He gained attention in the golfing world in 1976, when at the age of 19, he finished second with Jack Nicklaus at The Open.
He played a leading role in the re-emergence of European golf, helping the European Ryder Cup team to five wins both as a player and captain.
He won the World Match Play Championship a record-tying five times. He is generally regarded as the greatest Continental European golfer of all time.
Ballesteros won a record 50 European Tour titles. He won at least one European Tour title for 17 consecutive years between 1976 and 1992. His final victory was at the 1995 Spanish Open. Largely because of back-related injuries, Ballesteros struggled with his form during the late 1990s. Despite this, he continued to be involved in golf, promoting international golf tournaments, creating the Seve Trophy and also running a golf course design business. Ballesteros eventually retired from competitive professional golf in 2007 because of continued poor form.
In October 2008 he was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumour. Ballesteros was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for the second time at the BBC Sports Personality Awards 2009. He was presented with the award at his home in Spain by his compatriot and former Ryder Cup teammate José María Olazabal. Seve Ballesteros died of brain cancer on 7 May 2011, aged 54.