José María Olazábal

José María Olazábal Manterola (born 5 February 1966) is a Spanish professional golfer from the Basque Country who has won 30 professional tournaments worldwide, including two Masters Tournament green jackets (1994, 1999). He is one of Europe's most revered golfers, having represented Team Europe in seven Ryder Cups as a player and captained the team to the legendary 'Miracle of Medinah' in 2012. Born in Hondarribia, a small Basque town on the Spanish-French border, Olazábal grew up on the Real Golf Club de San Sebastian, where his father Gaspar was the greenskeeper. He began hitting golf balls at age 2 with a shortened club and by age 6 was practicing on the course. As an amateur, he achieved an unprecedented British treble — winning the Boys Amateur (1983), The Amateur Championship (1984), and the British Youths Open Amateur (1985), becoming the first player to hold all three titles. Olazábal turned professional in 1985 and won the European Tour Qualifying School. In his rookie season (1986), he finished 2nd on the Order of Merit and became the first Spaniard to win the Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year award. Over his European Tour career, he won 23 titles — 9th all-time — including the flagship BMW PGA Championship and national opens of Ireland, France, and the Netherlands. On the PGA Tour, Olazábal won 6 times, highlighted by his two Masters Tournament victories. His 1994 triumph at Augusta National made him the second Spanish champion after Seve Ballesteros. His 1999 Masters victory was particularly remarkable — it came just two years after career-threatening rheumatoid arthritis in his feet required surgery on both feet, casting serious doubt on his playing future. Olazábal's Ryder Cup legacy is legendary. As a player, he appeared in seven Ryder Cups (1987-2006), forming with Seve Ballesteros the most successful partnership in the event's history — 12 points from 15 matches. As captain in 2012 at Medinah, he masterminded the greatest comeback in Ryder Cup history, Europe overturning a 6-10 deficit to win 14½-13½. The emotional victory was dedicated to Ballesteros, who had passed away in 2011. Olazábal reached a career-high Official World Golf Ranking of #2 in March 1991. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2009 and received Spain's prestigious Prince of Asturias Award for Sport in 2013. Now aged 60, he continues to compete on the PGA Tour Champions and Legends Tour, and remains an influential figure in European golf as a recurring Ryder Cup vice-captain.