Remarkable shot wins for Ballesteros

Press, 1 July 1978, Page 48

Remarkable shot wins for Ballesteros

NZPA-Reuter Edinburgh

A million-to-one shot by Severiano Ballesteros, of Spain, beat Britain’s Ryder Cup captain, Brian Huggett, at the twenty-first hole in the first series of roundrobin group matches in the European match-play championship at Dalmahoy yesterday. The 21-year-old superstar strode in triumph from the sixteenth green to a tremendous ovation after his second sudden death success, leaving Britain’s Ryder Cup captain, Brian Huggett, open-mouthed in astonishment.

Ballesteros, a 22-hole winner over the five-times British open champion, Peter Thomson, of Australia, in a classic morning battle, had just sunk a 50 feet (15.24 m pitch shot for a match-win-ning birdie three at the third extra hole. It set him up as an even hotter favourite for the $16,000 title.

Huggett, who had been

two up with six to play, could hardly believe his misfortune. Ballesteros had pulled a three iron second shot to the third sudden death hole and found his ball lying between a double barrier of aluminium fencing. Under tournament rules he was permitted a free lift, and under the instructions of the tournament director, George O’Grady, the Spaniard placed the ball in one of two places where he faced the more difficult shot. Ballesteros then pulled a wedge from his bag and hit the ball straight into the hole without touching either green or flagstick. “I have done it many times before,” he said afterwards.

“But it might take me a million more times to do it again just like that.” The defending champion, Hugh Baiocchi, of South Africa, also tripped at the first round-robin hurdle, falling 2-1 to Neil Coles of Britain.

The other unbeaten players so far are the Spaniards, Antonio Garrido and Manuel Pinero, the South African, John Fourie, and Mark James of Scotland.