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CARNOUSTIE, Scotland -- Seve Ballesteros, a five-time major championship winner, announced his retirement from golf on Monday.
Seve Ballesteros is one of only 18 golfers to win at least five major titles as a professional and is tied for fourth on the list of majors won by players not born in the United States.
Name Majors
Gary Player 9
Harry Vardon 7
Nick Faldo 6
Seve Ballesteros 5
James Braid 5
John H. Taylor 5
Peter Thomson 5
"This has been the most difficult decision of my life," Ballesteros, who won the British Open three times and the Masters twice, said at a news conference at the British Open.
The Spainard, who turned 50 in April, has not been a force in golf for the last 10 years as he has coped with back injuries.
Ballesteros underwent hospital tests recently over a minor heart scare. He said he had made up his mind to retire only after a failed attempt to play on the seniors' Champions Tour in the United States this year.
"For several months there was something confusing inside. It was an internal fight -- my head said I should retire. I kept saying that over and over," he said.
"My heart kept telling me it would be better to keep playing and compete. So it was difficult for quite a while. "Finally, I decided to go to try on the Champions Tour. So I went there and played one tournament and then I came back. That really made me think ... I should retire." I don't have the desire any longer. I have worked very hard from morning to night and put all my energy and effort into the game, focused 100 percent and I felt that was enough. I have a number of good years left and I'd rather spend time now with my three children and my companies and friends."
Ballesteros did for Europe what Arnold Palmer did for American golf a generation earlier. He was a swashbuckler on the course, a combination of power and amazing imagination. He won one of his three British Open titles by playing a shot from the car park (a temporary parking lot), and perhaps his greatest shot was a 3-wood from a bunker on the final hole of the Ryder Cup in 1983, the first time Europe had a chance to beat the U.S. team.
Inspired by his fierce style, Europe closed the gap on the United States in the matches until winning for the first time in 1985, and dominating ever since. One of those wins came in 1997 at Valderrama, with Ballesteros as the captain.
He was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999.
Ballesteros said he chose Carnoustie to make the announcement because he made his British Open debut there 32 years ago.
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Man, I'm getting old!!!!
It seems like yesterday that he came flying thru tournaments with a style that captivated the audiences. He can't be 50?????? 
It's got to more like 35. I guess with the Tiger craze over the past 10 years, I just didn't notice that Seve wasn't playing anymore.
to him. He had a flair on the course.