(RxWiki News) Seve Ballesteros gained international attention when at only 19 he came in second at the famed British Open. The Spanish golfer went on to win five major championships.
Now, after a 3-year battle, Ballesteros has died of brain cancer. He was 54.
Ballesteros was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2008, after fainting at the Madrid airport. He had oligoastrocytoma - tumors of the glia, cells which support other brain cells
Treatment included four surgeries and several rounds of chemotherapy.
Ballesteros' family said he died at his home in Pedrena of respiratory failure.
Tiger Woods was one of the first to pay tribute to the Spaniard who helped expand the popularity of golf around the world. “Seve was one of the most talented and exciting golfers to ever play the game," Woods said on Twitter.
“His creativity and inventiveness on the golf course may never be surpassed. His death came much too soon.”
According to the National Cancer Institute, 22,020 new cases of brain cancer were diagnosed in 2010, and the disease caused 13,140 deaths.
