McIlroy youngest US Open champion

Rory McIlroy won the U.S. Open by eight shots in record style on Sunday, confirming his rich promise as a potential golfing great by becoming the championship’s youngest winner since 1923.
Eight strokes in front overnight, the 22-year-old Briton maintained ice-cool composure while carding a two-under-par 69 on a humid and overcast day at Congressional Country Club to claim his first major title.
After safely parring the last where he two-putted from just off the front of the green, he clenched his right fist and pumped it in celebration as he broke into a smile.
"It’s a great feeling,” a beaming McIlroy told reporters after posting a tournament record total of 16-under 268 to leave his nearest challengers trailing in his wake.
"I knew most of the field were going to have a hard time to catch up to the score that I was on so I’m obviously just very happy to win the U.S. Open. And to win it in a bit of style as well is always nice.”
Emerging Australian talent Jason Day fired a 68 to finish alone in second, two strokes better than South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun (71), Britain’s Lee Westwood (70) and Americans Kevin Chappell (66) and Robert Garrigus (70).
McIlroy, long regarded as a future world number one, eclipsed the U.S. Open scoring record of 12-under set by Tiger Woods at the 2000 U.S. Open.
On a rain-softened course ideally suited to his power game and high ball flight, the Northern Irishman also shattered the previous aggregate low of 272 held jointly by Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Janzen and Jim Furyk.
"It’s great to get this first major in the bag ... especially after what’s happened the last couple of months,” said the mop-haired McIlroy, who banished memories of his Masters meltdown in April.
Going into the final round at Augusta National, the Briton held a four-stroke lead but he tumbled out of contention with a closing 80.
"I felt like I got over the Masters pretty quickly,” said McIlroy, who will climb to a career-high fourth in the world rankings issued on Monday. “I was very honest with myself and I knew what I needed to do differently.
"To be able to finish it off the way I did ... just tells me that I learned from it and I’ve moved on. Now I’ve got this, I can go ahead and concentrate on getting some more (majors).”
McIlroy became the eighth first-time winner in the last nine majors and followed in the footsteps of compatriot Graeme McDowell, who won last year’s U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
"My hat’s off to Rory this week,” McDowell said after closing with a 69. “It’s been waiting to happen. He’s been this good for a long time, and it’s great to see him fulfill his potential. He’s an awesome player.
"Nothing this kid does ever surprises me. He’s the best player I’ve ever seen. I didn’t have a chance to play with Tiger when he was in his real pomp, and this guy is the best I’ve ever seen, simple as that.”
EYES ON MCILROY
All eyes were on the record-breaking McIlroy when he teed off on Congressional’s heavily tree-lined Blue Course on Sunday afternoon.
With his accurate long game, spectacular approach play and silky smooth putting, he had decimated the field over the first three days, setting tournament lows after 36 and 54 holes.
The only question remaining was how he would handle the mounting pressure and lofty expectations heaped upon him going into the final round.
Any concern was swiftly erased when McIlroy rolled in a nine-footer to birdie the opening hole and stretch his lead to nine. He picked up another shot at the par-four fourth, where his approach pitched 15 feet beyond the cup before spinning back to within four feet.
He coolly sank a clutch par-saving putt from 15 feet at the fifth before reaching the turn in two-under 34 with an eight-stroke cushion.
A tap-in birdie at the tricky par-three 10th where he came close to recording an ace maintained McIlroy’s lead, Yang having also recorded a birdie there.
After bogeying the 12th where he found a bunker off the tee and failed to reach the green with his second shot, the Northern Irishman got back to 17 under with a birdie at the par-five 16th.

U.S. Open five things to know

1. American rise?
For the first time in the history of golf, no American owns a major championship at the same time Europe has possession of the Ryder Cup. Might that change at Congressional Country Club this week?
Well, Europeans own the top spots in the world with Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer taking the top three rungs on the rankings ladder.
And if a non-American were to win just outside our nation's capital on Father's Day, the streak of five major winners from somewhere other than the United States would also be a first in the sport's history.

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2. Streaks end at Congressional
With Tiger Woods not in the field, he'll be missing his first U.S. Open since 1994. That leaves the Masters as the only major Woods hasn't missed as a professional.
Other streaks that will end this week are Vijay Singh's mark of 67 majors in a row, which was the longest active streak. The new benchmark is Sergio Garcia's 48 straight after the Spaniard made it through sectional qualifying on June 6.
Mike Weir had been ahead of Garcia with 48 in a row, but the Canadian -- who has been struggling through injuries -- isn't in the field at Congressional, either.

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3. When leading isn't ideal
He who sleeps with the 54-hole lead should beware. Thirteen consecutive 54-hole leaders at a major failed to break 70 in the final round. Only four went on to win.
Nine of the last 11 54-hole leaders failed to win the tournament, including Dustin Johnson at last year's U.S. Open and Rory McIlroy at the Masters in April.
In addition, three of the last four 54-hole leaders not only didn't win, they didn't break 80 in the final round.

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4. Feeling blue
Congressional Country Club's Blue Course will take center stage, starting Thursday in Bethesda, Md.
So how will it play? In a word: long.
The 523-yard par-4 18th hole (yes, par-4) will be the second-longest par-4 in U.S. Open history. Granted, it plays downhill, but there's a peninsula green awaiting second shots. The top honor for longest par-4 went to No. 7 at Bethpage Black in 2009 that measured 525 yards.
The 636-yard par-5 ninth hole is the fourth-longest hole ever in a U.S. Open. Golfers will also have to be wary of a ravine in front of the green.
Overall, the course had more than 300 yards of length added since it hosted the 1997 U.S. Open won by Ernie Els. It will play as the second-longest U.S. Open venue and third-longest major in history. Torrey Pines in 2008 (7,643 yards) and Hazeltine at the 2009 PGA Championship (7,674) were longer.

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5. U.S. Open tidbits

Want to wow your friends with your knowledge of the year's second major? We've got you covered.
• The last time Congressional hosted a U.S. Open, Els won at 4 under. He edged Colin Montgomerie by a shot and Tom Lehman by 2. Those three were the only players to finish under par for the week.
• The low round from the '97 U.S. Open was a 65 by Monty in the opening 18 holes.
• Of the last 10 major championships played, there have been 10 different winners. And only one, Phil Mickelson at the 2010 Masters, was inside the top 10 in the world rankings at the time of his victory. Y.E. Yang (110th in 2009) was the lowest-ranked winner.
• Graeme McDowell will attempt to be the first to win back-to-back U.S. Open championships since Curtis Strange in 1988 and 1989. Only six players have won consecutive U.S. Open crowns, with Strange the only one in the last 55 years.
• The cut on Friday night (assuming no weather delays) will trim the field of 156 golfers to the low 60 and ties, along with players within 10 shots of the lead.
• The highest cut in the U.S. Open since 1980 was 9 over. It came both at Oakmont in 1983 and at Winged Foot in 2006.
• The 2012 U.S. Open will be held at Olympic Club near San Francisco.

Imran hanya no. 3

PENOLONG Pengarang Prosesan Utusan Malaysia, Imran Mohd. Nor memang terkenal sebagai buaya besar di kalangan pemain golf media. Namun kejohanan golf bersama media sempena majlis menandatangani perjanjian penganjurab Worldwide Selangor Master di Kelab Golf Kota Permai, Imran gagal memanfaatkan kebuayaannya itu.
Sebaliknya buaya Karang Kraf, Marzuki Abdullah yang mengganas. Dengan membenamkan tiga birdie, Marzuki mencatat sejarah tersendiri dalam hidupnya untuk muncul sebagai juara. Dengan kejayaan itu juga maka tersebarlah ke seantero benua akan kebuayaan Marzuki yang kini berdebar-debar untuk beraksi dengan kawan-kawan sebab takut kena bagi stroke.

Luke Donald tops golf world rankings

England's Luke Donald is world number one for the second straight week leading a European clean sweep of the top three places.
Donald took over from compatriot Lee Westwood last week following his playoff win over the same player at the PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Steve Stricker is up to fourth and is the top American in the rankings following his win Sunday in the Memorial at Dublin, Ohio.
Tiger Woods slipped a further couple of places and is now 15th ahead of his scheduled return to action at the US Open in Washington DC on June 16.

World top 20

1. Luke Donald (ENG) 9.21pts
2. Lee Westwood (ENG) 8.59
3. Martin Kaymer (GER) 7.42
4. Steve Stricker (USA) 6.55
5. Phil Mickelson (USA) 6.06
6. Matt Kuchar (USA) 5.67
7. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 5.50
8. Graeme McDowell (NIR) 5.45
9. Paul Casey (ENG) 5.16
10. Dustin Johnson (USA) 5.16
11. Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 5.10
12. Bubba Watson (USA) 4.96
13. Ian Poulter (ENG) 4.89
14. Nick Watney (USA) 4.78
15. Tiger Woods (USA) 4.69
16. K J Choi (KOR) 4.47
17. Jim Furyk (USA) 4.29
18. Hunter Mahan (USA) 4.22
19. Jason Day (AUS) 4.19
20. Francesco Molinari (ITA) 4.11

Tiger Woods about to fall from top 10

FOR his golf, Tiger Woods is about to fall out of the top 10 in the world for the first time in 14 years. For his star power, he still ranks ahead of any other athlete despite adulterate affairs and a divorce.

Woods, whose last win came 18 months ago at the Australian Masters, will drop to at least No. 11 in the next world ranking published Monday. It will be the first time he is out of the top 10 since he was No. 13 on April 6, 1997, the week before he won the Masters for the first of his 14 majors.

Forbes magazine, however, said he still is the No. 1 celebrity in the sports world. Woods checks in at No. 6 on Forbes' annual "Celebrity 100" list of the most powerful people or groups in the entertainment business. Lady Gaga tops the rankings, followed by Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber, U2 and Elton John. Forbes estimated Woods' earnings last year at $75 million, making him the highest-paid athlete.

Woods began the year ranked No. 2 but has been dropping steadily. Woods, who tied for fourth at the Masters last month, withdrew from The Players Championship last week because of injuries to his left knee and left Achilles. He said Monday that he will try to return June 16-19 at the U.S. Open at Congressional (Md.).

Woods has been atop the world ranking for 623 weeks in his career, by far the longest of any golfer since the ranking began in 1986.

European Tour: Luke Donald has another chance to take the No. 1 spot from Westwood at the World Match Play Championship, which starts Thursday at Spain's Costa del Sol.

Donald won the Accenture World Match Play title at Arizona in February. No. 3 Martin Kaymer, who split with caddie Craig Connelly on Sunday, is also in the field, and there are enough points to allow him to move back to the top of the rankings, too.

The field is divided into eight groups of three, with the top two in each going through to the knockout stages Saturday and Sunday. Donald has Ross Fisher and Ryan Moore in his group. Westwood is joined by Anders Hansen and Aaron Baddeley. Kaymer is drawn with Y.E. Yang and Noh Seung-yul.

TaylorMade Brings Technology to Forged Irons with Three New Models

FOLLOWING the much successful release of Burner 2.0 irons last year, TaylorMade Golf has once again pushed the benchmark higher with the introduction of three new forged irons models, redefined and distinctly different from one another: Tour Preferred® Muscleback (TPMB), Tour Preferred® Muscle Cavity (TPMC) and Tour Preferred® Cavityback (TPCB).

Created with major input from tour pros, the three new models incorporate specific features and technologies that enhanced superior performance. Each new iron is exquisitely designed to blends classic forged irons features with modern performance elements. The TPCB utilizes a multi-material construction comprised of a forged face and cast body while TPMB and TPMC are both created using a state-of-the-art shaping process and 6-step forging procedure that resulted pure feel.

“Forged irons are typically devoid of performance technologies,” said Bret Wahl, Senior Director of iron, wedge and putter development. “Their compact and solid construction with thin sole, thin top line, high CG location and little to no offset, forces a very specific type of impact parameters to hit a good shot, with virtually no margin for error. We took a long and close look into the makeup of forged irons to determine if we could advance the performance with the use of technology and found that we could.”

The Tour Preferred® Muscleback or TPMB irons are fine muscleback blade with clear lines designed for the purist. A compact player’s shape and minimal offset, TPMB delivers the pure feel, feedback and workability coveted by blade fans. The 6-step forging process produces thin top line and sole, straight leading edge, minimal offset and tapered hosel work that gives a pure face-to-ball connection sought after by skilled players.

“This is the iron that many of our Tour Staff pros have been waiting for,” said Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s Vice President of tour operations. “The lines are clear and clean from every angle and the pure feel of the ball on the forged face at impact is as good as it gets.”

Adding to that, TPMB also incorporates TaylorMade’s innovative new precision-weighting port at the back of the club head which offers precision-weighting port solves age-old problem and guarantees a precise swing weights while ensuring optimal and consistent CG location in every club head.

The Ideal Forged Players Cavity Back or TPMC irons are designed with a clean, classic and maneuverable player’s shape which offers optimum blend of feel, workability and forgiveness. A compact and shallow cavity is incorporated for added stability plus a smoother feel and workability of a forging.

“The precision-weighting port proves it is possible to innovate and improve the performance of a true, forged blade,” said Brian Bazzel, Manager of iron and wedge creation.

Both TPMB and TPMC sports advanced USGA-conforming groove design that allows more spin and control from the rough, plus standard shaft and grip properties chosen with input from TaylorMade Tour Staff professional, including True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft- the most widely played on tour- and Tour Velvet grips, a combination deemed optimal for promoting consistent and responsive performance.

As for the Tour Preferred® CB or TPCB irons, it is multi-material forged cavity back designed with a two-piece head. Its advanced construction melds a forged face with a cast body that incorporates an undercut cavity that delivers a pure feel of a forged iron and forgiveness of a deep cavity back.

“Uniting a forged face with a cast cavity allows us to deliver the soft feel of a forging with the stability and forgiveness of a deep undercut cavity,” said Wahl.

Boasting the highest MOI out of the three new irons, the TPCB is also the only iron with Inverted Cone Technology (ICT) which gives faster ball speed on off-center hits which makes it extremely forgiving for consistent distance from shot to shot. Additionally, the TPCB also features a precision-weighting port that guarantees consistent swing weight and optimal CG location and the same new, advanced groove design to promote more spin and control.

Availability and Pricing

For Asian market, the Tour Preferred® Muscleback is available in S200 steel shaft only with a suggested retail price of RM4090. For the Tour Preferred® Muscle Cavity, there are two shaft options – S200 shaft (retails at RM4090) and NSPRO 950 steel shaft (retails at RM4390). The Tour Preferred® Cavityback is the only model offered in both steel - NSPRO 950 (retails at RM4390) and graphite TP 65 (retails at RM4790) shafts. All three models are available in sets of #4 to PW with the standard Tour Velvet grips. The irons are already available in the market.

Choi first Asian to win Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida - South Korea’s K.J Choi beat American David Toms in a sudden-death playoff to win the Players Championship at Sawgrass on Sunday and become the first Asian to win golf’s unofficial “fifth major”.

Choi sealed the biggest win of his career with a regulation par on the first playoff hole after Toms, a former US PGA champion, three-putted for a bogey.

"For some reason I felt so comfortable out there. The swing that I have right now just doesn’t break down under pressure situations. I was able to be precise and aggressive and keep my rhythm together and that is what brought this performance,” said Choi.

The drama came at the end of a marathon final day with the leaders arriving at 7.45 am local and playing 13 holes of their rain-affected third round before heading out again for the fourth round.

The pair had finished the tournament tied at 13-under par after closing with rounds of 70 where they both played consistent and solid golf while their challengers fell by the wayside.

Choi, 40, snatched the outright lead with a birdie on the par-3 17th only for Toms to respond by draining a long birdie putt on the final hole, to a huge roar, forcing the playoff, the first Choi has faced on the PGA tour.

But the 44-year-old Toms, without a win in five years, lost his touch when it mattered most. He missed a par putt from three and a half feet on the first playoff hole, the par-3 17th, then watched as the Houston-based Choi calmy drained his par to secure his eighth win on the PGA Tour and his first in more than three years.

Toms, who won the US PGA Championship in 2001 but has not won in 124 starts since Hawaii in 2006, was left looking for positives from his near miss.

"It is disappointing but I hung in there. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position, to be in the lead on a tough golf course, it shows I can still do it. I need to work on putting, if I had putted well I could have put a bit of distance between myself and the others,” he said.

Britain’s Graeme McDowell started the final round with a one stroke lead but imploded in a horrible round where he found water on four holes. The reigning U.S. Open champion, who had declared his swing problems behind him, shot a seven over-par round off 79 to finish tied for 33rd place.

"That last round was up there in my top 10 worst last rounds ever so that is going to hurt a little bit of course,” said McDowell. Another experienced American, Paul Goydos, shot his third 69 of the week to finish third, two shots behind Choi and Toms — his secoind top three finish at the Players in the past four years.

Two of the brightest young talents on either side of the Atlantic, American Nick Watney and Britain’s Luke Donald, tied for fourth, three shots off the lead. Donald’s placing was his seventh consecutive top ten finish on the PGA Tour.

Burner Superfast 2.0 lebih laju, lebih jauh

TAYLORMADE mula memperkenalkan siri model driver Buner pada awal 2007. Sejak itu ia menjadi antara driver yang paling laris di pasaran dalam sejarah jenama itu.

Kunci kejayaannya ialah pada teknologi Superfast yang membolehkan pemain lebih pantas untuk jarak lebih jauh.
Tahun lalu, teknologi Superfast itu dipertingkatkan lagi untuk menjadikan driver Burner Superfast lebih ringan, lebih panjang dan lebih jauh daripada generasi Burner sebelumnya.
Apa yang dikatakan itu ditunaikan oleh TaylorMade yang mana ia telah meningkatkan aerodinamik dan memberikan jarak lebih jauh
Ia diperakukan oleh pemain profesional dalam siri jelajah dan juga kejayaan di pasaran.
Lebih 50 pemain profesional dunia menggunakan Burner SuperFast dalam siri Jelajah PGA.
Semua itu mendorong para jurutera TaylorMade untuk meningkatkan keupayaan driver itu walaupun pada masa yang sama memperkenalkan siri R11.
Untuk generasi baru, TaylorMade melancarkan Burner SuperFast 2.0 yeng menggabungkan teknologi SuperFast dengan permukaan muka lebih besar dan kesan geseran aerodinamik lebih rendah.
Ini memberikan ayunan yang lebih laju, kadar pelancaran lebih tinggi dan mengurangkan putaran untuk memberikan jarak.
Selain itu, digabungkan dengan MOI yang lebih tinggi untuk menjadikan Burner SuperFast 2.0 jarak lebih jauh daripada model Burner yang asal.
Bentuk pada Burner SuperFast 2.0 juga dipertingkatkan untuk memberikan pusat graviti (CG) lebih rendah supaya sudut pelancaran lebih tinggi untuk mengurangkan putaran.
Burner SuperFast 2.0 memiliki permukaan muka yang lebih luas berbanding mana-mana driver iaitu 4,550 milimeter persegi.
Muka yang lebih besar ini penting kerana driver yang lebih panjang menjadi ia lebih mencabar untuk dikendalikan bagi pemain biasa.
Oleh itu muka yang lebih besar menyedia permukaan lebih luas untuk pukulan bola.
Bahagian muka yang dalam pula menyediakan permukaan lebih luas.
Bagi meningkatkan prestasi tanpa mengorbankan rasa dan daya boleh main, TaylorMade mengubahsuai shaft dan kepala.
Apa yang lebih istimewa, Burner SuperFast 2.0 tampil dengan warna putih sama dengan R11.
Warna ini dikatakan memudahkan pemain melakukan pelarasan dan menetapkan sasaran.
Ia juga menghilangkan silauan yang dihasilkan oleh warna hitam sebelum ini apabila terkena cahaya matahari.
Lagi pula, warna putih menjadikan driver ini dua peratus lebih besar.
Burner SuperFast 2.0 ini juga menggunakan grip lebih ringan dari jenama Winn. Beratnya hanya 25 gramm, tetapi ia tetap memberikan rasa dan cengkaman yang sama.
Ini merupakan antara komponen penting bagi menjadi berat driver ini hanya 279 gram - yang paling ringan pernah dihasilkan TaylorMade.
Panjang shaft driver ini ialah 46.25 inci dan apabila digabungkan dengan beratnya ia meningkatkan ciri aerodinamik untuk memberikan jarak lebih jauh.
Turut memainkan peranan penting dalam memberikan prestasi pada Burner SuperFast 2.0 ialah penggunaan shaft Fubuki 50 yang beratnya hanya 49 gram dengan bahagian hujung yang lembut untuk membolehkan pemain meningkatkan kelajuan bola. Burner SuperFast 2.0 ada dua versi iaitu 2.0 dan 2.0 TP.
Untuk pasaran Malaysia Burner SuperFast 2.0 boleh didapati dengan 9.5 darjah dan 10.5 darjah dan tiga jenis shaft iaitu S, R dan SR.
Untuk Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP pula di datangkang dengan versi 9.5° dan 10.5° - dan dua jenis shaft iaitu X dan S.
Harga bagi Burner SuperFast 2.0 ialah RM1,590 dan Burner SuperFast 2.0 TP RM1,790.

Aksi di Cengkareng

Dah lama ahli KGU tidak beraksi di luar negara terutama Indonesia. Kalau ada yang kena naik kapal terbang pun sekadar ke Langkawi, Sabah dan Sarawak. Jadi, aksi di Jakarta tetap dalam kenangan. Untuk mengimbau balik kenangan diturunkan beberapa keping gambar aksi di Kelab Golf Cengkareng, Jakarta.

Driver paling hangat

TaylorMade tampil dengan siri driver yang terbaru r11. Kelebihan driver ini ialah ia mempunyai tiga tahap pelarasan iaitu shaft, loft dan pemberat boleh ubah. Ia untuk membolehkan driver ini dilaraskan mengikut keperluan setiap pemain.
Malah ia kini menjadi driver yang paling hangat di pasaran dan permintaan untuknya seperti pisang goreng panas. Ia lebih mudah dikendalikan dan memberikan lebih jarak daripada driver biasa.

Kenangan aksi di Awana

SELEPAS agak lama berdiam diri, blog KGU tampil dengan posting revisit balik pengalaman beraksi di Awana bersama-sama rakan-rakan ketika meraikan pemindahan saudara Fikri ke Johor.
Semoga posting ini dapat membangkitkan kembali minat untuk rakan-rakan kembali mengunjungi blok ini.

Sporting great Ballesteros dies aged 54

MADRID, May 7 (Reuters) - Seve Ballesteros, one of golf’s greatest and most charismatic players, died on Saturday at the age of 54 following a long battle with cancer, his family said.
The Spaniard, who won five major titles and inspired a generation of players worldwide, died peacefully at 0210 local time surrounded by his family at his home in Pedrena, northern Spain, after four operations on a brain tumour diagnosed in late 2008.
World number one Lee Westwood described Ballesteros as an “inspiration, genius, role model, hero and friend,” in one of many warm tributes paid on Saturday.
“Seve made European golf what it is today,” Westwood added on his Twitter feed. “RIP Seve.”
Many players competing in the Spanish Open in Terrassa on Saturday wore black ribbons in tribute to Ballesteros, while organisers prepared to mark his death with a minute’s silence at 1445 local time (1245 GMT).
The flags at the course were flying at half-mast, while Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez embraced on the practice range at the start of the day as they remembered their friend and fellow Spaniard.
Four-times major champion Phil Mickelson highlighted the flair and charisma of Ballesteros as his defining characteristics.
“Because of the way he played the game of golf, you were drawn to him,” Mickelson said at Quail Hollow Championship in North Carolina.
“You wanted to go watch him play. He had charisma and he kind of had so many shots that it was fun to watch him play.”
A winner of three British Opens and two Masters titles, Ballesteros also helped revive Europe’s fortunes in the Ryder Cup, breathing new life into the team competition against the United States.
He won 87 titles worldwide, 50 of them on the European Tour, and had the great satisfaction of captaining Europe to Ryder Cup victory at Valderrama in Spain in 1997.
European Tour chief executive George O’Grady said Ballesteros had been an inspiration as a player and a man.
“Seve’s unique legacy must be the inspiration he has given to so many to watch, support, and play golf, and finally to fight a cruel illness with equal flair, passion, and fierce determination,” O’Grady said in a statement.
“We have all been so blessed to live in his era. He was the inspiration behind the European Tour.”
The tumour was originally discovered after Ballesteros collapsed at Madrid airport and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
“Today, at 2.10 a.m. Spanish time, Seve Ballesteros passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at his home in Pedrena,” the family said on Saturday in a statement on the player’s personal website (www.seveballesteros.com).