MY ALL TIME SPORTING HERO
‘I have been incredibly lucky in getting to know sports stars personally, but I have and will only have one all-time sporting hero – Severiano Ballesteros. As a golfer there is no way to describe how exciting he was to photograph. I became a close friend, and I am so proud to honestly say that the two images below (left and centre) are without doubt the two images that defined his career. This is followed by my favourite image of him at home on the beach at Pedrena in Northern Spain, where he would hit the first shots of his life with a 3 iron and pebbles.’
SEVE BALLESTEROS 1988
The Open Championship at Royal Lytham and St Anne’s.
SEVE BALLESTEROS 1984
Celebrating his winning putt at The Open Championship at St Andrews.
JOSE MARIA OLAZABAL & SEVE BALLESTEROS 1991
The Ryder Cup, Kiawah Island, USA. The finest partnership in Ryder Cup history.
SEVE BALLESTEROS 1996
On Somo beach, near his home at Pedrena, Spain.
PHIL MICKELSON AT THE MASTERS IN 2007
PHIL MICKELSON 2004
Winning his first major championship at The Masters.
ERNIE ELS 2012
The Open Champion.
IAN POULTER 2016
At The Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. ‘I love it when weather delays mean that players start on holes we never see them on at first light.’
TIGER WOODS 2001
Woods in the woods, at The Dubai Desert Classsic.
TIGER WOODS 1999
Woods in the deep rough, at The Open Championship at Carnoustie.
TIGER WOODS 2015
On the 9th hole at The Masters.
PHIL MICKELSON 2010
On the 13th hole at The Masters. ‘This hole is my daily afternoon studio at Augusta – the finest theatre of golf photography.’
SERGIO GARCIA IS CHASED MY MICHAEL JORDAN AT THE 1999 ALFRED DUNHILL CUP AT ST ANDREWS
‘Earlier in the round I heard Jordan say to Garcia “Do you want a running race boy?” So I made sure I was always 200 yards ahead of them just in case – and sure enough I got lucky!’
