[1] He had an early success, winning the Open Costa Vasca in September 1968, two strokes ahead of his uncle Ramón Sota.

[3] Shortly after the victory, Ballesteros left professional golf for two years to perform national service for his country.

With his back again the wall, at the El Paraiso Open in Marbella, Spain, he played excellently, finishing regulation tied with England's Peter Oosterhuis.

The Englishman would birdie the first playoff hole to win[5] but Ballesteros would maintain status on the European Tour.

[6] Manuel stated later in life, "I had already been playing tournaments for seven years in Europe so I did everything for him, booked his air tickets, accommodation, everything off the course, so that nobody would bother him.

[6] After Seve died in 2011, Ballesteros attended a charity pro-am in Wentworth, England, organized by Cancer Research UK.

The event was entitled Ole Seve Pro-Am and raised money for research into brain cancer.

The event included major champions Justin Rose, José María Olazábal, and Retief Goosen.