A bronze statue of golf legend Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros has disappeared from his hometown. Authorities are investigating the theft.
A life-sized bronze statue of the Spanish golf legend Severiano “Seve” Ballesteros, erected in 2009, has vanished from his hometown Pedrena, in the Cantabria region of Spain, according to the city. Spanish authorities have launched an investigation after the local council of Marina de Cudeyo announced on Instagram that the “unfortunate event” over the weekend suggests the statue was stolen. The council urged the public for help: “If anyone has noticed suspicious activity, especially within the last 24 hours, please inform the Guardia Civil or local police directly.”
See the post on Instagram by Ayuntamiento de Marina de Cudeyo (@ayto.marinadecudeyo).
The life-sized bronze statue captures the moment of Ballesteros’s victory at the Open Championship in St. Andrews in 1984. Trailing Tom Watson in the final round, Ballesteros turned the game around to win by two strokes and claim the Claret Jug, preventing the American from winning his third consecutive Open title.
Severiano Ballesteros: One of European Golf’s Greatest Figures
The bronze statue honors Spaniard Severiano Ballesteros, who contributed to four Ryder Cup victories as both player and captain of the European team. His professional career achievements began at 19 when he finished second to Jack Nicklaus at the 1976 Open Championship. Ballesteros won three Open Championships (1979, 1984, 1988) and the Masters Tournament twice (1980, 1983). Throughout his career, he received multiple awards including Golfer of the Year, was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999, and was chosen as European Player of the Century in 2000. He holds the record for 50 victories on the European Tour. Ballesteros passed away in 2011 at 54 due to a brain tumor.
The statue was created in 2009 by Spanish sculptor Salvador Garcia Ceballos and permanently installed in La Barqueria Park in 2017.