Ollie in hall of fame

Jose Maria Olazabal is joining Seve Ballesteros in golf’s Hall of Fame, but said today: “I can’t compare to what Seve did in any way.

“What he did for the game of golf and the way he did it, there is no one else that I know who equals his achievements.

“But I feel excited about being inducted. All the pains have gone.”

Olazabal, expected to be Europe’s next Ryder Cup captain and an assistant to Nick Faldo last year, has been fighting rheumatic pains and fatigue.

“When I first started golf I just played for the fun of it. I just kept on trying to improve.”

Asked if he thought he could ever make the Hall of Fame when he was out of the game for 18 months in the mid-1990s he replied: “Not really. You always dream it, but it’s very difficult to achieve those things.”

Olazabal came back to win a second Masters title in 1999 and three years ago returned to the Ryder Cup side after a seven-year gap.

He and Ballesteros are the only two Spanish golfers to be inducted.