Top Caddie Billy Foster, has worked with the best including Sergio Garcia, Tommy Fleetwood, Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood, all of whom have the talent to hit an outstanding golf shot.
But the best shot he ever saw was at the European Masters at Crans-sur-Sierre in 1993, by a certain Seve Ballestros who Billy caddied for several years.
Billy said, “It was simply the best shot I’ve ever seen. Seve had birdied five holes in a row, as he arrived on the 18th tee tied for the lead. He slashed his tee shot into the middle of some pine trees and finished behind an eight-foot wall.
He had half a backswing – a tree was in the way, no way enough room for any kind of golf shot. I saw him on his hands and knees looking at this tiny gap, the size of a dinner plate, 10 yards in front of him. Bear in mind his ball was only a couple of yards from the wall. Seve had about 140 yards to the green and I begged him to chip it out sideways – he could get up and down for a par and still win the tournament. He brushed his hand at me:
“No, Billy, I have this shot”, said Seve.
Eventually, in frustration I said to him, look I know you’re Seve Ballesteros, just chip it out will you!?”, but he wouldn’t listen and again brushed me away:
“No, I have this shot you son of my b****!”.
All I could think about was my percentage of the winnings dwindling by the second!
Anyway, he got down on his haunches and proceeded to play what can only be described as a miracle shot. With half a backswing he hit it over an eight-foot wall with a pitching wedge, through this tiny gap between the pine trees, over the swimming pool, then over some 50 foot conifers, and it landed two or three yards short of the green. Then, for good measure, he chipped it in for a three.
I’m not saying Seve was one of the few professionals who would have played that shot, I’m saying he was the only professional who I’ve come across who’d have taken the shot. It was kamikaze play, ridiculous, just stubborn stupidity. I got down on my knees and bowed to him. People loved Seve because he took on shots like that. That’s what made him special.
