SEVE Ballesteros, one of golf’s most gifted players, has died after a long battle with cancer.

The 54-year-old passed away surrounded by his family at his home in Pedrena, northern Spain, in the early hours of today.

Ballesteros was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008 after losing consciousness at Madrid Airport.

The five-time major winner had four operations to remove the tumour as well as undergoing chemotherapy.

In a statement, the Ballesteros family expressed gratitude for the “support and gestures of love” it had received and asked for “respect and privacy at such a painful time.”

Tributes continue to pour in for the golf legend who suffered respiratory failure at 1.10am.

Julian Small, chief executive of Wentworth Golf Club, where Ballesteros won five times, said: “Seve was a great champion. He was a swashbuckling man, a handsome man who really entertained the crowd.”

“He played such a fantastic game of golf. Wherever Seve went there was always a huge crowd. He saw the West course here at Wentworth as one of his favourite places to play.

“He is the pioneer, he is the person that has changed the shape in many ways - especially with the general public - of European golf.

“His way of playing, his whole charisma, he brought it to new markets, to new people, to new populations. He is Europe’s version of Arnold Palmer, he is the person that really made that big difference.