Javier Ballesteros, Seve’s son, is very much keeping his father’s impact alive
Every year, we used to travel all around the world with my dad to tournaments and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic holds a lot of special memories for our family.
He first came here in 1989 for the very first edition of the tournament, but as a family, I think we started coming around 25 years ago. Back then, there was just the golf course and basically desert. We used to stay at the Jebel Ali Hotel, which is about 20 minutes away from here.
Emirates Golf Club
It’s always good to be back. This year, next to the putting green, I’ve seen small pictures of all the champions. There are four big pictures, and one of them is of my dad when he won in 1992, which makes me very grateful and proud. My dad used to love this event.
I followed in my father’s footsteps and was a professional golfer myself for eight years. I worked very hard, as my dad taught me, but it just wasn’t meant to be my journey.
Harry Grimshaw
It was difficult. I worked hard, but one day I decided to stop because I realised I just wasn’t good enough to compete with the best. I started working at a management company called All In Sports and helped build the golf side of it. We started with a couple of professionals and one of them is Angel Ayora, who is here this week. We’ve been together for four years now. We are already very proud of Angel and he’s making his major debut at The Open Championship this summer at Royal Birkdale, where my dad finished second in 1976, so that’s going to be special.
Along with my brothers, we run The Seve Ballesteros Foundation, which focuses on two areas. One is supporting and developing research into brain tumours, and the other is introducing young people to the game of golf. We also run a very positive hospital programme where we teach golf to children with cancer. It’s a way to try to make life a little easier for them while they’re in hospital, something families really appreciate. We feel it’s what Dad would have wanted.
Another way we remember Dad is through the Seve Collection. It’s a clothing brand featuring his silhouette. It’s only been going for two years, but Angel wears it, which makes us very proud.
I think Dad would be proud of me because I’ve always worked very hard, and that’s what he taught me.
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Main Image: Harry Grimshaw
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