A hero among men

Michael Weston sets renowned photographer David Cannon the unenviable task of choosing his ten all-time favourite Seve photos

- Michael Weston

World Match Play

Wentworth, 1985

“I remember this World Match Plays fondly, with the big crowds and lovely autumn light. Seve had his fair share of success here. On this occasion, he’d put his tee-shot on the par-3 5th in the bunker. It’s difficult to get nicely framed bunker shots with the player on one side and the ball up on the other. I’m always very keen to get as much out of focus as possible on backgrounds so you really isolate the subject. There’s no hat. Just look at the eyes.”

Seve Ballesteros left a lasting impression on everyone who watched him. It wasn’t just because of the way he played and the shots he took on. He was a great champion, yes, a trailblazer, pioneer, genius, artist, all of those things – but he also had charisma. People loved him. He was, as acclaimed photographer David Cannon says, simply a “hero”.

For Cannon, it’s hard to quantify how much the great man shaped his own professional career. He admits that one particular shot of the winning putt at St Andrews in 1984 “established him in the golfing market”. But the time spent with Seve away from tournaments had the greatest impact on him. It’s these memories he treasures most.

The pair met by pure chance. Cannon was a scratch golfer at The Leicestershire Golf Club in 1976 and was drawn to play with Seve in a pro-am. He remembers the day as if it were yesterday.