For the best part of six decades, the Ryder Cup was very much a one-sided contest, with the United States the dominant force right up into the 1980s.
The tide didn’t really start turning in the Ryder Cup until the Great Britain & Ireland team became Team Europe in 1979.
The United States still won the next three instalments of the competition, but Europe fought back in 1985 at The Belfry, with a convincing 16.5-11.5 victory.
However, they were still yet to taste victory on American soil. Enter the late, great, Seve Ballesteros who made it his mission to tip the Ryder Cup scales in Europe’s favour.
The Spaniard won five major championships throughout his career – two Masters and three Open Championships – and he was one of the fiercest competitors to ever have graced the game of golf.
However, it was the Ryder Cup which meant the most to Seve. The Spaniard lived and breathed the biennial event.
It was at Muirfield Village back in 1987 when Europe really began to make serious strides against the mighty Americans.
And Seve was the man who took the responsibility of firing up his teammates before every single match against the might of the United States.
Seve Ballesteros led Europe to their first ever Ryder Cup win on American soil
Ballesteros was in incredible form throughout the week at Muirfield Village.
He partnered up with Jose Maria Olazabal for the foursome and four-ball matches on Friday and Saturday, and the Spanish duo took three points from the four games they played.
Seve then faced Curtis Strange in the singles on Sunday, and defeated him by a score of 2&1.
The European team was one of the strongest they had ever had.
Alongside the mercurial Spaniard, Europe had the likes of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and the aforementioned Olazabal.
However, it was Seve who took on a real leadership role on the golf course, despite Tony Jacklin being the actual team captain.
The five-time major champion took the fight to the Americans almost single-handedly. It is well-known that he took it upon himself to give pre-match motivational team-talks to the European side.
After Europe’s famous first win on American soil, Ballesteros said: “When you play for so many, it makes you strong.“
Meanwhile, the US team captain Jack Nicklaus didn’t pull any punches after his side’s defeat. He said: “Our guys just weren’t quite as tough as their guys.”
Ballesteros embodied Europe’s toughness as a team. He didn’t give the Americans an inch all week and he was the driving force behind their first ever victory away from home.
Seve Ballesteros’s Ryder Cup record
Ballesteros played on eight Ryder Cup teams in total from 1979 through until 1995, with 1981 being the only year that he missed out when available for selection.
Europe won three of those matches and halved one, losing four times to the Americans.
He also captained the European team to victory at Valderrama in 1997.
His Ryder Cup record speaks for itself.
| Results | Seve’s totals |
| Matched played | 37 |
| Wins | 20 |
| Losses | 12 |
| Halves | 5 |
| Total points | 22.5 |
There weren’t many players more competitive than Ballesteros, if any at all, and he will always be remembered for his impact on the Ryder Cup.
Golf lost a great player and man back in 2011 when Seve passed away, but his remarkable legacy will live on forever.