The Golf Night panel came out in support of Seve Ballesteros, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
A legend and a gentleman
The
Golf Night panel came out in support of golf legend Seve Ballesteros, after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.
The 51 year-old, who will undergo a biopsy on Tuesday, was admitted to La Paz hospital in Madrid on October 6 after briefly losing consciousness and on Sunday, Ballesteros released a statement which said that a brain tumor had been detected.
Mark Roe admitted that while the news had confirmed everyone's worst fears, he was convinced that Ballesteros' inner strength and character would give him every chance of fighting the illness.
"We were all hoping and praying that it wouldn't be this," he told
Golf Night. "I think we suspected that it would be a serious problem but we were all hoping that it wouldn't be this news.
"All we can hope and pray for Seve over the next coming weeks and months is that the biopsy shows there is still hope to go forward and that it is operable, it might still be benign.
"Whatever happens, one thing is for sure, he will fight this the way he fought throughout his career. He has a great inner strength and I'm sure he will come out the other side."
Gentleman
Ballesteros brought an end to a glittering career in 2007 having won 87 titles and Denis Pugh hailed him as not only a brilliant golfer, but a true gentleman on and off the course.
"I remember I was a low life on the tour and happened to find myself travelling with him and a few other players," he said.
"He was the superstar and when he got off the plane he was there to be met by courtesy drivers and all sorts and in that time on tour you just made your own way.
"But he looked after the rest of the players. There were six or seven of us and he said 'those boys are players too, they have to come' and he stayed until we got transport.
"That's the kind of guy he was, he thought of everything he didn't just get in his car and drive off - a great man."
Thrill
As well as his stunning singles career Ballesteros was an inspirational figure in the Ryder Cup, winning 20 points from 37 matches and Mark Roe revealed that the man who captained Europe to victory at Valderrama in 1997 was also responsible for giving him the greatest thrill of his career.
"I played with him in the late 80s at Glen Eagles," Said Roe. "And on the way round we talked about the Masters and he said to me 'one day you will play in the Masters and when you do I'll have a practise round with you'.
"In 1996 I qualified for the Masters and I thought nothing of it but arrived on the Sunday on the practise ground. Seve was at the other side of the range hitting practise balls and he walked straight up to me and said 'I owe you a practise round, I promised do you remember?'
"And we played 18 holes at Augusta. Just me and Seve on a Sunday with no crowds in there at all and it still perhaps remains the greatest thrill of my golfing life."
