Through the night, a sporting legend and the man that inspired a generation of European golfers finally succumbed to the big C.

Severiano Ballesteros passed away at his home in Northern Spain from respiratory problems caused by a brain tumor.

Born in 1957 in the small town of Padrena near the port town of Santander where his Father was a Greenskeeper in a country where Golf was nothing more than a fringe sport, the young Ballesteros learnt the game playing with only a 3 iron given to him as a gift by his elder brother Manuel.

He would spend countless hours practicing on the local beach by the light of the moon, slowly honing the skills that would eventually change the status of the sport of Golf throughout Europe.

As a youngster of just 12, Seve won a Caddies tournament with a score of 79, and at the age of 18, two years after turning Pro at age 16, he was runner up at the 1976 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale behind another legend of the era, Johhny Miller.

Seve won the European order of Merit that year, and would do so another 5 times.

At age 21 he was the youngest ever winner of the Open, and at 23 the youngest ever winner of the Masters until Tiger Woods lowered the bar, opening the gates for a host of European success at the Masters with wins by the likes of Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam, Sandy Lyle and his Spanish compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal following in his footsteps.

He won 5 World Match Plays, 5 Major Championships and 87 tournaments worldwide, the majority of which were on the European Tour.

Undoubtedly his finest achievements came in the Ryder Cup, helping Europe win for the first time since 1957 at the 1985 event, and again for the first time ever on American soil in 1987, thereby changing the phyche of the competition for ever.

His play with Jose Maria Olazabal is the most successful in the history of the event with 11 wins and 2 halves out of 15 matches played.

He successfully captained the European Ryder Cup team of 1997 to victory at Valderrama, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999.

Health problems and dramatic form loss saw him announce his retirement from competitive golf in 2007, despite being eligible for the lucrative Seniors Tour. For Seve, I always felt it was never only about the money.

In 2008 Seve collapsed at Madrid Airport, and was diagnosed as having a malignant brain tumor.

4 Operations later and many hours of chemotherapy saved his life, but the battle was never won.

Seve described the fight against the tumor as  the “hardest challenge of my life”. Unfortunately it was a 3 year battle that he was destined not to win.

He inspired a generation of golfers, both amateur and professional alike, and will be remembered forever for his geniality and openness. His book “Natural Golf stands proudly in my bookcase, and he, together with the late Payne Stewart epitimized everything that is good about the sport of Golf and it’s values.

Seve, wherever your spirit rests, I sincerely hope that your time is spent making continual birdies and eagles, and that you never pull a poor lie again.

Rest In Peace. Descansar En Paz.