‘Seve’s Still The Captain Of Our Ship’ … Larrazabal’s Lasting Memory On This Week’s 15th Year Anniversary Of Seve’s Passing.

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Fifteen years ago, Pablo Larrazabal naturally wished so much to capture the 2011 Spanish Open at the host El Prat in Barcelona.

A Barcelona native and El Prat club member since childhood, the nine-time DP World Tour champion tees-up in his 498th event and on May 7th exactly 15-years to the day after the passing of Seve Ballesteros.

Larrazabal had been among the hundreds – players, officials, caddies, families, members of the media and so many others – who stood in line on the El Prat practice range early on that highly emotional Sunday morning – May 8th, 2011 – in memory of Seve Ballesteros.

News of Seve’s passing at age just 54 not only rocked the golf world but left the sports world in complete disbelief.

There was not a dry eye to be seen and with Seve’s dearest friend and fellow major champion Jose Maria Olazabal very much emotionally overwhelmed. ‘Ollie’ had been the first outside of Seve’s family to be advised of his passing a day earlier on May 7th and I still vividly recall, as Ollie walked from the course post his Saturday round of 77 , the sight of tears just pouring down his face.

Higher up the leaderboard was Larrazabal having signed for a third round 71 to be sharing third place with a round to play at seven-under and trailing three shots adrift of South African Thomas Aitken at 10-under.

Larrazal was also a week shy of turning 28-years-old and had already displayed his enormous talent in making the golf world stand-up and take notice in denying a shell-shocked Colin Montgomerie by four shots to capture the 2008 French Open, and the first of what is presently nine DP World Tour victories.

Larrazabal so wanted to win for Seve and there was a feeling, and in the most sincerest of ways, that a Larrazabal victory given his strong connection with El Pratt would be such a memory.  As well,  Seve had won the Spanish Open in 1981 and then for a third occasion in 1995, and with his ’95 triumph being Seve’s 50th and last DP World Tour sucesses.

Though it was not to be with South African Thomas Aitken winning and a teary-eyed Larrazabal finishing third.   

Aitken did dedicate his victory to Seve but what a storyline it would have been had Larrazabal succeeded.

“It was very hard,” Larazabal recalled in speaking this week with MyGolfWay.

“I spent many summers in Pedreña; I knew him very well, and he left us too soon. Seve was the captain of our ship; I can’t carry on his legacy because that’s for a select few, but it’s our mission to always remember him and for him to remain our captain.”

Larazabal’s Seve moment materialised two weeks from the 11th anniversary (May 7th, 2022) of Seve’s passing winning on Spanish soil for a first time since turning professional in 2004.

Larrazabal brilliantly cut a swath through the closing 18 holes and coming from a share of sixth with still two completed rounds to play in the rain-affected event and emerge on Sunday to shoot a third round 68 ahead of a brilliant closing eight-under-par 62, under a continuing preferred lie ruling. to win by a shot in claiming victory in the ISPS Handa Championship of Spain.

It was a long wait, and with Larrazabal on the Lakes Course practice range, when victory was confirmed and with fellow Spanish Adrian Otaegui (66) runner-up on 14-under.

It was Larrazabal’s maiden and only victory on home Spanish soil, and also his second win in the then 50th anniversary year for the DP World Tour, along with his seventh win on the Tour and the 15th win of his pro career



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