A Decade of Dominance - Europe at The Masters: Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam

Spring is upon us, and The Masters is here. As we get set to be enthralled by four days of play at the first major of the year, we take a trip down memory lane and revisit a period in time when Europeans winning on the hallowed turf was just the norm. Ad Seve Ballesteros — 1983 Masters'LIV Masters winner would be a huge statement' says Koepka ahead of AugustaA DAY AGO A 26-year-old Ballesteros arrived at Augusta National in search of his second green jacket, three years on from collecting his first.

The Spaniard’s game was notorious for his flair and ability to conjure up drama, and 1983 was no different. His opening round of 68 put him squarely in the mix, but rain on Friday pushed the tournament a day behind. Despite this, his weekend scores of 70 and 73 only had him one adrift of co-leaders Craig Stadler and Raymond Floyd entering Monday’s final round.

Beginning with a birdie on the first hole, he added an eagle on the par-5 second and rolled home a birdie at the fourth. He was 4-under for four holes and seemingly in control, but then the drama kicked in. He maintained a comfortable lead until Amen Corner, the stretch that included the 11th, 12th and 13th holes.

A bogey on the 12th was followed by a snap hook off the 13th tee, but little did he know that the overnight leaders had also faltered. Ultimately, Ballesteros would chip in for par on the 18th to bookend another spectacular week in his young career and cement the victory. After watching the thrilling conclusion, Tom Kite said: “It was like he was driving a Ferrari and everybody else was in Chevrolets.” Bernhard Langer — 1985 Langer’s first Masters victory was one that had a “Strange” twist.