Tributes are pouring in for Seve from around the world. Here are a few I have selected from a list compiled by the europeantour.com
José María Olazábal said: “My first memory of Seve goes back to ‘83 or ’84. I was an amateur, and he called me to play in a charity event. It was a big surprise and I was very excited. It's hard to chose one of the many moments that I lived with him, but surely the most cherished are Ryder Cup moments, particular the 1997 edition.
"What impressed most in Seve was his strength, his fighting spirit and the passion he put into everything he did. I saw him for the last time the Saturday after the Masters. He was not well, but his head was clear. We talked about many things… so many common memories, and particularly about the Ryder Cup.
The best tribute we can pay to Seve is to go on playing for him, although no tribute will ever do justice to everything he did for golf and to everything he gave us."
Miguel Ángel Jiménez commented: “I first met Seve when I was around 15. He came to play our ’79 Spanish Open at Torrequebrada. I worked there as a caddie, and he was on top of the world… people were crazy about him. I also remember when I won the Belgian Open in 1992. I didn’t speak a word of English so he interpreted for me. He said, “You are the winner, you are the boss, say whatever you feel like saying.”
"He was outstanding for his determination and his passion in everything he did. He never gave up, he always found a way out, and this was reflected in his personality.
"I have lived so many moments with him that it’s hard to chose one. I would maybe highlight the ’97 Ryder Cup, where I was his assistant. It was a truly special week. I loved to watch him fulfil one of his dreams and enjoy it so much. Seve’s passion for the Ryder Cup was unique.”
World Number One Lee Westwood wrote on Twitter: "It's a sad day, lost an inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend. Seve made European golf what it is today. RIP Seve."
He later added: "You always knew when Seve walked in a room even if you had your back to him. He oozed charisma and brought a whole new meaning to aura.
"Seve gave his everything for golf and what the game and the European Tour particularly owes him is immense. We would not be playing where and for what we are today without him having graced the world’s fairways. He was that iconic a figure."Everybody loved Seve although there were probably a few Americans during Ryder Cup week who had an alternative opinion. But even those whom Seve had tortured with his sheer brilliance on the course were among the first to offer their support and best wishes when he started his long battle against cancer.
"Seve lost that fight on Sunday and the world of golf is a sadder place for it.
"Five majors, three Opens and two US Masters, do not pay a big enough tribute to the man who started golf hitting pebbles with an old three iron on a beach in northern Spain. He was simply a fantastic golfer and he seemed to specialise in escape shots. Getting up and down from anywhere was something he was supremely gifted in.
"Seve was everything as a golfer. Immensely proud, fiercely determined, swashbuckling, brave, fearless and with a silky short game that few could match. He attracted every age group and was truly a golfer of the people.
Football is and always will be king in Spain, but the rise in popularity of the game in that country and others can be put down to Seve and what he brought to it......."Golf has lost a genius."
Arnold Palmer said: "Seve was a great guy and an outstanding competitor. I considered him to be a good friend of mine. His dynamic talent was evident from the time he first arrived on the scene and I always invited him to play in my tournament at Bay Hill. What he brought to the game, especially in Europe, is well-documented. He was probably the main man, the greatest contributor to the European golf scene and to the Ryder Cup when they brought all of Europe into the matches. He will be sorely missed throughout the world of golf."
Jack Nicklaus said: "Today, golf lost a great champion and a great friend. We also lost a great entertainer and ambassador for our sport.
I have always had wonderful respect for Seve’s ability, how he played the game, and the flare he brought to the sport while achieving the success he did. It was his creativity, his imagination, and his desire to compete that made him so popular not only in Europe but throughout American galleries, too.He was a great entertainer. No matter the golf that particular day, you always knew you were going to be entertained. Seve’s enthusiasm was just unmatched by anybody I think that ever played the game."
Ballesteros' fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia said: "I am devastated to hear of Seve's passing. He has inspired me so much throughout my career and I admired him above all for his fighting spirit - never more so than in the manner in which he has battled this terrible illness. It is the most enormous loss to the world of sport to lose this great man although he will be remembered and loved forever. He was a champion on the golf course, but also a champion for the game in Spain and Europe. I send my sincerest condolences to Seve's family."
Ernie Els said: "This is a very sad day for golf. Seve was such an iconic figure and the flag bearer for European golf over many years. He opened up so many doors for Europe’s players by winning all over the world and particularly in America. The European Tour would not be what it is today without him.
“Seve was an absolute hero of mine and I modelled so much of my game on him. I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity to play with him many times and the most memorable was our battle in the World Matchplay of 1994. It was an unforgettable day and I feel honoured that I was able to share centre stage with him.
"Seve was a very proud man in golf and in life in general. He never backed down from a challenge. The world of golf has lost one of its greatest heroes."
Colin Montgomerie, eight times European Number One, said: “I am devastated to hear the news. He fought so bravely throughout this awful illness and, time and time again, showed such bravery and miraculous recovery skills as he did throughout his career.
“There are very few legends in the world, Seve is one of them. I never saw such a talent to swing a golf club, and we may never see it again. We have lost one of the great icons of the game, it is a great loss for Spain, for Europe and for the world. This is a very sad day for the world of golf, but it is also a day of celebration, it is a day to celebrate his life, showing pictures and videos of Seve at his best. It has been an honour to play with Seve and an honour to play under him as a Captain.
“He has left us with so many wonderful lasting memories and his contributions to European golf are unquantifiable. I send my deepest sympathies to his family
Allen Wronowski, President of the PGA of America, said: “In every generation, there appears one performer in sport who stands out above another for more than just ability alone. Seve Ballesteros, the gallant warrior from Pedrena, Spain, was the ultimate competitor. We were fortunate to have had him choose golf, where he did more than win championships, he proudly became an ambassador for our sport’s global appeal. Seve played with a rare combination of talent and heart, and his intensity endeared him to his teammates in the Ryder Cup, a competition that elevated his talent and leadership. As long as the pipes may play to call teams together for the Ryder Cup, they will play for Seve. We shall miss him dearly, and we mourn with his family and his many friends and fans throughout the world.”
Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero: "I would like to express my deepest condolences on the death of Severiano Ballesteros, one of the finest golfers of all time and a legend in world sport.
"Severiano represented a beginning and an end in the history of Spanish sport: his example paved the way for the extraordinary success our sport is currently enjoying."He was the mirror which Spanish athletes who have reached the pinnacle of world sport looked into. Severiano was loved and respected for his great charisma and strength, which he showed until the very end of his life."
Peter Alliss, the voice of BBC golf, told BBC Radio 5 Live: “He was wonderful to watch. He brought delight and joy to many people who watched and played golf. He tweaked a few tails along the way and bloodied a few noses but that’s what helped make him what he was. He was a fighter, feisty, skilful, cheeky, lovable, he was everything. [To light up a room] he just had to smile. He had hair as black as a ravens wings when he was a boy, his smile and twinkle in the eyes. When Seve was in a good mood the world smiled with him.”
Four-times Major Champion Phil Mickelson:
"He's certainly had an impact on the game, but to me the greatest thing about Seve is his flair and his charisma. Because of the way he played the game of golf, you were drawn to him. You wanted to go watch him play. He had charisma and he kind of had so many shots that it was fun to watch him play."
Former World Number One Tiger Woods:
"I was deeply saddened to learn about the passing of Seve Ballesteros.
"I always enjoyed spending time with him at the Champions dinner each year at the U.S. Masters. Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game.
"His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed. His death came much too soon."
Davis Love III, the 2012 U.S. Ryder Cup captain:
"He was an icon in the game and somebody that I looked up to. I copied his swing. Everybody wanted to be as exciting and fun and flashy as Seve. Maybe hit a few more fairways, but everybody wanted that style. They wanted to be aggressive and able to play like that."
Nick Price, who enjoyed one of the greatest Open duels of all time in 1988, said: “What he did for European golf was what Tiger Woods did for worldwide golf. The European Tour would not be where it is now if it were not for Seve. His allegiance to the European Tour was admirable. I mean the guy was an icon; just an incredible golfer. I’ve always said most of us could shoot 65 in about 30 or 40 ways. He could do it about 10,000 different ways. He could miss every fairway, chip in five times, hole two bunker shots…what a sad day today. He was so creative around the greens. It didn’t matter if there was a tree or bunker, he’d figure out a way to get up and down. He and I had a great duel at Royal Lytham in 1988. It was a great day for each of us. I remember the seventh hole he made an eagle right on top of me. I remember after we played that hole that one of us was going to win because we were both playing so well that day and neither of us was going to back down. He was always very kind to me. Whatever you may have heard about him, his love for the game and his competitiveness was something I learned so much from. I don’t want to say I idolized the guy but I respected him so much for the way he played the game because he could play the game like very few people. He really did. He had that beautiful smile that used to win over the hearts of all the women. He was just an incredible personality; a huge asset. I think all of us who played with him or spent any time with him are the richer for it.”
Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles
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