Seve Ballesteros would have turned 55 today.



Ballesteros died during the Open de España, where the European Tour marked his death with a moment of silence during the third round at the Real Club de Golf El Prat in Barcelona.

Tiger Woods said of Ballesteros that he was "one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game". Lee Westwood said of Ballesteros, "Seve made European golf what it is today".

At the Madrid Open in tennis, a moment of silence was held prior to the semi-final match between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. Nadal, a close friend of Ballesteros, was seen wiping away tears as he watched the video screen.

On 8 May, at 15:08 EST, the three major U.S. men's tours stopped play and held a moment of silence.

On 10 May, the Irish Independent said of him: "He spoke many other languages too: the dialects of honour, of dignity, of sportsmanship, of decency, of fair play, of loyalty, of integrity, and in the end, of dauntless, unforgettable, astonishing courage. In doing so, he rewrote entirely the international image of the Spanish people. Quite simply, there has never been a finer ambassador for either his sport or his country.

A funeral service was held for Ballesteros at the parish church of San Pedro, in his home village of Pedreña. Due to the number of those in attendance, several big screens were installed outside the 400-capacity church. His ashes were then to be scattered at his home estate.

The day of Ballesteros' death, the Spanish flag at the World Golf Hall of Fame in Florida, United States was lowered to half-mast, a photo of Ballesteros was hung in the box office, and a black ribbon was hung on the outside of his locker. The next weekend, at nearby TPC Sawgrass, the Spanish flag was flown at half-mast during the 2011 Players Championship at the request of defending champion Tim Clark, in place of his native South African flag. Clark went on to state, "Seve was a hero of mine growing up...In losing [him] last week, I think the whole golfing world is saddened by that. To have his flag up here is just a small little tribute to him. Obviously he deserves a whole lot more.".