Life-Size Statue Of Golf Legend Disappears From His Hometown As Authorities Launch Investigation

If you are a sports fan, let alone a golf fan, who hails from Europe, one rule you must abide by is that you respect absolutely anything and everything about Spanish legend Seve Ballesteros. Someone appears to have broken that rule, as a life-size statue of the late Ballesteros has gone missing.

The statue has vanished from his hometown of Pedrena, Spain, a town with a population of less than 2,000 residents located in the Cantabria region of the country.

Local authorities announced on Instagram that an investigation has been launched into the matter, clarifying that "all indicates a robbery." It's an astute observation from authorities to claim the ginormous statue was stolen, and not blown away in the wind or simply moved to another spot in town.

The bronze statue was created in 2009 by sculptor Salvador García Ceballos before being permanently installed in La Barquería Park in 2017. The statue depicts the Spaniard celebrating his winning of the 1984 Open Championship at St. Andrews, which stood as his second of three victories at The Open in his career.

Ballesteros, who also won the Masters in 1980 and 1983, passed away in May 2011 at just 54 years old. He was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in October 2008, just more than a year after he retired from professional golf.

The Spaniard turned professional at the age of 16, won nine PGA Tour events on top of 50 events on the European Tour, and was the No. 1 ranked player in the world for 61 consecutive weeks beginning in April 1986.

Ballesteros' influence is very much apparent still to this day, specifically among Team Europe members at the Ryder Cup, an event he played in eight times en route to a legendary match record of 20-12-5.