A LONG list of golfing luminaries are set to attend the funeral of Seve Ballesteros in the small Spanish fishing village of Pedrena where the five-time major champion first picked up the 3-iron that would change European golf.
Former Ryder Cup players and captains Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance, plus close friend Jose Maria Olazabal and top-ranked Lee Westwood among others, will be at the packed 400-capacity church of San Pedro de Pedrena today.
The service will end with the ashes of Ballesteros, who died in his hometown on Saturday at age 54 of brain cancer, being placed underneath a magnolia tree in the family garden.
The golfing great will first be honoured by several young boys and girls in a procession wearing a replica of the navy blue outfit that Ballesteros wore for his first British Open win in 1979. Fittingly, they will each hold a 3-iron, the first club he used as a child.
"The funeral rites will be as simple as those for any neighbour from the village," Ballesteros' brother, Baldomero, said.
"He was born here and here he will remain."
Three big screens have been set up outside the ceremony, while Spanish state TV will broadcast the event live from the village of 1500 people.
Ballesteros was perhaps Spain's first major sports star, helping to transform European golf by winning three British Open and two Masters titles plus a record 50 European Tour victories.
He was also player-captain of the successful 1997 Ryder Cup team.
"He broke the mold," former Ryder Cup player Tommy Horton said.
"We were told to hit the fairway, not to make mistakes, while Seve taught us about the genius of recovery.
"He was a genius, an artist - the first true golf artist."
Many homes in Pedrena brandished Spanish flags with black ribbons attached.
A small shrine could be seen outside the family home, where notes, candles, a pair of golf shoes and even a 3-iron were left as tributes.
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