Seve moments

[Imurg]

He left us 9 years ago today.
Any moments that you remember..?
Mine is when the B&H International was played at the Oxfordshire
The 8th hole has a bit of a dog leg right to a green that's almost out in the lake.
We managed to get between the ropes and the lake to watch Seve's approach
As he hit it, a gust of wind blew over us and I immediately said " that's in the water"
It splashed and Seve just looked at his caddy as if the guy had just thrown up on his shoes.....
Arms thrown up in the air and he was off to the drop point - got up and down for the bogey.

 

[Hobbit]

First time I saw him live was in a practice round for the Open at Turnberry. He was out with 3 other Spanish pro's. The 3 guys hit their drive first, and each nailed them down the fairway. Seve hit last and.... wow! Followed the group for a few holes. There was a world of a difference between Seve and other golfers. At his best he still missed fairways and greens but his recovery play was the best I've ever seen, before or since.

And in one of those "where were you when..." I was sat in a hotel Lagos n the Algarve when the sad news pinged up.

 

[LincolnShep]

I love the way Billy Foster tells the story about the European Masters at Crans sur Sierre.
If I'm on the course and attempting something difficult, or even a bit reckless then "I see shot Billy" always comes to mind.

 

[Wolf]

First & only time I saw him play live was at PGA at Wentworth we followed him from the 2nd and ended up watching the entire round. As I remember it he only hit 1 fairway which was the 6th. But he just had so much ability that wherever he was he found a way to get the ball in the hole.

It was superb to watch live. Wish I'd seen more of him.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I watched him at Walton Heath in the European Open. It was a composite course and the 18th was a dogleg right. He hooked his tee shot into the rough then hooked his 2nd which bounced all the way down the canopies between the ground floor and upper floor of the hospitality units that lined the end of the fairway/green. Ball finished up in a bush behind the green. He goes in, comes out and grabs a club and went back in again. Few seconds later out pops the ball onto the green and rolls up to about 3 or 4 ft from the hole. Obviously he then holes the putt for another routine 'Seve par'. If anyone else had done it people would have been drooling but it was just another day at the office for Seve.

 

[Foxholer]

He left us 9 years ago today.
Any moments that you remember..?
Mine is when the B&H International was played at the Oxfordshire
The 8th hole has a bit of a dog leg right to a green that's almost out in the lake.
We managed to get between the ropes and the lake to watch Seve's approach
As he hit it, a gust of wind blew over us and I immediately said " that's in the water"
It splashed and Seve just looked at his caddy as if the guy had just thrown up on his shoes.....
Arms thrown up in the air and he was off to the drop point - got up and down for the bogey.

I knew that caddy - or maybe it was his replacement as it was only a 'by chance' hook-up! He told us a story about a Seve recovery on one hole (thought it was 15 but doesn't look like it from the map). Having got the PW out of the bag for a hack out/layup from a wayward Drive, he was surprised to hear Seve ask for the 5 wood and explain the shot, which he carved perfectly, as described, around a bush/tree onto the green and saved par! Eggy reckoned he never anticipated another club, except Putter, after that!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

If I'm on the course and attempting something difficult, or even a bit reckless then "I see shot Billy" always comes to mind.

You and me both. I proceed to play the "I see shot Billy" and invariably pick up for no points in a stableford or reload in medal. Doesn't stop me trying lol - He who dares

 

[i*windows]

 

[timd77]

I’ll often summon the ‘spirit of Seve’ when in a ‘sh*t or bust’ situation, it sometimes works! I remember playing at cleobury once, my ball ran part way into a ditch and so was well below feet and naturally pointing well left, bush and bunker in the way and I think I had about 100 yards to the green. This is normally either getting thinned into the bush/bunker/over the back, or hit nicely but 50 yards left. Sensible shot was to chip it out back the way it came. No chance was I doing that. ‘Come on Seve’ I thought, opened my stance, crouched down, opened the face and it flew beautifully to 4 feet from the hole.

Ok, so that’s the only time it’s worked so far, but doesn’t stop us saying it every time!

Loved the man.

 

[Tongo]

I dont think there is a better sportsman / woman for whom the Norman Mailer quote fits so well: "What is genius but balance on the edge of the impossible."

At 40 i'm too young to have seen him in his pomp but have the Seve DVD which is a great watch and one that always brings a smile. In the DVD Peter Alliss says that Seve was one of the few people worth paying good money to watch and i can't disagree with that sentiment.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Seve at the Belfry. No fear -

 

[richart]

Seve’s chip between the bunkers at Royal Birkdale 1976, on the 72 hole. His birdie secured second place to Johnny Miller. A star was born.

 

[Papas1982]

I genuinely can't recall a shot of his.
I mean I've seen him hit it from the trees and where it ended near the bunker (Switzerland?) but the cameras never really catch the flight at all.

I accept that those that saw him play will have lots of fond memories and his passing was (obviously) tragic, but (there's always a but) most stories I hear of him recall him rescuing something from the rubbish, having missed another poor drive. The very thing people criticises the pga stars for now.

He would appear to me to be a precursor to Mickelson. Someone who I massively enjoy way watching. But don't rate anywhere near as much as do some of the other greatest golfers of all time.

Also not a massive fan of sky and other companies still pushing him on every new Spanish star. I recall sky having Rahm hitting 4 irons out of the bunker during the open and asking him his first memories of him. Rahm (rather awkwardly) admitted he respected his place in the game but was in no way someone he'd modeled his game on.

Tin hat firmly on

 

[Waitforme]

I was at St Andrews for a week or so, probably in the 90s and happened to be down at Old Course early morning for a walk, there was a small group at the first , maybe a dozen or so people, Seve and caddy were two of them.
It was the twilight of his playing career and he’d just missed the cut at the Scottish Open as I recall and had gone to St Andrews for an early practice round, he proffered his club on the first tee to the watching group suggesting we may be better enabled to use it ?

 

[Smiffy]

Years ago, (1983 I think), the European Open was held at East Sussex National. Popped down on the Wednesday and followed Seve around.
Got to the par 5 10th (East Course) and stood behind the tee. Seve pulled an apple out of his bag, and popped it on a tee peg, took a couple of practice swings and just stopped short of smashing it to pieces, (I've got a photo of it in a frame on my PC desk but numpty nuts doesn't know how to use his scanner properly!).
He then proceeded to put his drive down the left hand side of the fairway. He was a tidy way out and we all thought he was just going to knock an iron down to the stream at the bottom of the hill and lay up. Not Seve. Pulled out a fairway wood, couple of practice swings and hammered it towards the green. There's an oak tree down the left hand side of that fairway, he just clipped a small branch, ball hit the upslope in front of the green and popped up onto the dance floor. He then canned the putt (must have been about 30 feet) for an incredible Eagle.
Wonderful moment, and although it was only a practice day, the cheers he got were fantastic.
That is my over riding memory of the man. He was a golfing great, one that we, the club golfer, could relate to.

Going to try and sort the scan out......

 

[Smiffy]

Hey, I'm not such a numpty after all!!!...........................I seem to remember telling him he smelt nice when he came to the back of the tee box......

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Once upon a Ryder Cup practice day at the Belfry - couldn’t be anyone else could it...god bless you Seve superstar and thankyou.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Now who’s who? I know who I was actually taking photo of...in the middle of course - the man himself...Paul Way between me and Seve?

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Definitely not Chubby Chandler, I think it may be one of Seve's brothers.

 

[Maninblack4612]

Heard this second hand & I don't know who he was playing against but it was singles matchplay. Seve had a reputation for exploiting the rules to his advantage. On one hole they get to the ball in an awkward position next to an obstruction. Seve argues for a free drop but his opponent isn't having any of it. "But what if I stand like this" says Seve. "No", says his opponent, "you don't get a free drop for that". "You sure?" says Seve. "Yes, sure" his opponent says. "OK", says Seve, "it's your ball, go ahead & hit the shot".

Might be apocryphal but I hope it's true.