The Ryder Cup was literally NOTHING until Seve Ballesteros came along. He was the aptly nicknamed "Arnold Palmer of European golf." A giant
Great point-- folks forget the Ryder was just British players before he came along, and they opened their team to Europeans, largely to get him on it. All of the excitement of the Ryder matches...USA vs. Europe post dates his putting this tourney on the TV map. He still holds the all time best match play record in the Ryder's history...He and Olazabal teamed up to kick the USA, more times than we care to remember.
He did more for the progress to prominence of the European tour, than any single player...thereby broadening pro tourney play to beyond USA and GB.
Its very apt to give him the Arnold Palmer moniker, as Arny did for the US PGA tour, what Seve did for the European Tour....and like Arny he grew up in humble surroundings, but still had the same class, and winning smile/personality., as Arny.
