A bronze statue of golf legend Severiano ‘Seve’ Ballesteros has disappeared from his hometown. Authorities are investigating the theft.
The life-size bronze statue of Spanish golf legend Severiano ‘Seve’ Ballesteros, installed in 2009, has vanished from his hometown Pedrena in the Cantabria region, according to city officials. Spanish authorities have launched an investigation after the city council of the Marina de Cudeyo municipality announced on Instagram that the “unfortunate incident” over the weekend suggests the statue was stolen. The town council urged the public to assist with the investigation: “If anyone has observed suspicious activity, especially within the last 24 hours, please inform the Guardia Civil or the local police directly.”
The life-size bronze statue captures the moment of Ballesteros’ victory at the 1984 Open Championship in St. Andrews. Ballesteros was trailing Tom Watson in the final round but managed to turn the game around, winning by two strokes and securing the Claret Jug, preventing Watson from claiming his third consecutive Open title.
Severiano Ballesteros: One of Europe’s Greatest Golf Figures
The bronze statue honors the Spaniard Severiano Ballesteros, who contributed to four Ryder Cup victories for the European team as both player and captain. His professional career took off at 19 when he finished runner-up alongside Jack Nicklaus at the 1976 Open Championship. Ballesteros won three Open Championships (1979, 1984, 1988) and claimed the Masters title in 1980 and 1983. He was awarded numerous accolades throughout his career, including Golfer of the Year honors, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, and was named European Player of the Century in 2000. Ballesteros holds the record for 50 wins on the PGA European Tour. He passed away in 2011 at the age of 54 due to a brain tumor.
The statue was created in 2009 by Spanish sculptor Salvador Garcia Ceballos and was permanently installed in La Barqueria Park in 2017.