Minute's peace held in honor of Ballesteros

Tears streamed down Jose Maria Olazabal's look as he stood in quiet in memory of his grand friend Seve Ballesteros, who died on Saturday aged 54.

At the rear Olazabal, flags at the El Prat course where the Spanish Open was being played flew at half-mast in honor to a fair icon.

Following the minute's quiet for the game's most charismatic shape, Olazabal sought solace from Miguel Angel Jimenez as he buried his head in his fellow-Spaniard's shoulder.

The klaxon had sounded at 1445 local time, just over 12 hours after Ballesteros had passed away at his residence in Pedrena, northern Spain, and consequently of the brain cancer he had fought so hard to defeat.

On the course, players still concerned in the third round of the Spanish Open -- the last title Ballesteros won on the European visit -- halted play and stood with curved heads.

Almost everybody wore black flags to show Ballesteros's passing.

Olazabal, the man with most cause to mourn as Ballesteros's successful Ryder Cup colleague, had faced a difference with his own position.

He required pulling out of the tournament in respect of Ballesteros but also feeling he had to play, just as his great friend would have wanted.

"Olly's first shot of the day was very exciting," playing colleague Colin Montgomerie said. "He did well to play at all. They were like brothers."

Olazabal knew Ballesteros for above a quarter of a century.

"My first memory of Seve goes back to '83 or '84," he recalled on Saturday. "I was an amateur, and he called me to play in a charity occasion. It was a huge revelation and I was very eager.

"What frightened me most in Seve was his power, his struggle spirit and the passion he put into the whole thing he did.

"I saw him for the last time the Saturday following the Masters. He was not well but his head was obvious. We talked about lots of things, so many general memories, and mainly about the Ryder Cup.

"The best honor we can pay to Seve is to go on singing for him, even though no tribute will ever do righteousness to all he did for golf and to the whole thing he gave us."
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