Paul Lawrie backs new European Tour logo in honour of Seve Ballesteros

The Tour paid for a new logo featuring six-times Open champion Harry Vardon to coincide with the launch of the Race to Dubai series for the 2009 season.

But Lawrie believes the now famed image of Ballesteros, who died on Saturday after a long battle with a brain tumour, on the final green at the 1984 British Open at St. Andrews should have been used instead.

"I absolutely support the idea (of changing it]," the Scot told reporters yesterday.

"Seve is the reason why we are playing on the European Tour, and everyone would have that opinion, so I fully agree with that."

Tributes have poured in from all over the world for Ballesteros, who was considered one of the sport's greatest players.

The 54-year-old claimed five majors and won a record 50 European Tour titles before retiring because of back problems in 2007.

Those achievements left Lawrie feeling that the original logo should have featured the Spaniard and not Vardon, who won the last of his Open titles in 1914.

The Jersey-born golfer was also US Open champion in 1900 and once won 14 tournament in succession. "There are quite a few players who believe that it should have been a logo featuring Seve in the first place," the 1999 Open champion said.

"Of course, it's not for me to tell the Tour what to do. The current logo is a nice logo and it's been very well done.

"But everyone knows and agrees that Seve was the player that really started it all for the European Tour. He was the difference. We shouldn't be changing the logo just because he's gone but that's always been the case so maybe it could have been a Seve logo from the word go."

Lawrie's compatriot and fellow European Tour professional, Andrew Coltart, who has been busy moving house, used Twitter to back the idea of changing the logo.

"We've already got a Harry Vardon Trophy, so why not a Seve logo instead," the Scot tweeted.

"No disrespect to Harry Vardon, who is obviously a legend, but today's strength in the European Tour is down to Seve, and he is 21st century.

"I hear that the Seve Trophy may struggle to continue getting a sponsor, so that's another reason," Coltart said of the annual Britain and Ireland v Continental Europe matches. We need to make sure we have some kind of recognition of Seve's legendary status."

However, former Spanish Open winner Peter Lawrie believed the timing of a possible change was not appropriate.

"The Tour spent an awful lot of money designing the Vardon logo but I would look at it as an emotional reaction if they were to change it now," said the Irishman.

"The thing is, if you look at the history of the Tour, it didn't start with Seve, and while it would be nice to honour his memory by changing the logo,

"I'm not in favour of a change just yet."IT began at La Manga with an 83 and it ended 33 years later at Augusta with rounds of 86 and 80, but, in between, Seve Ballesteros lifted European golf to new heights. Now comes the time to say goodbye to the sporting genius who died aged 54 on Saturday, three-and-a-half years after collapsing at Madrid Airport with a brain tumour. Ballesteros' funeral takes place at 1pm today at the San Pedro parish church in his home village of Pedrena near Santander.

"Seve will be cremated at a ceremony that will be as intimate as possible and at a place that nobody will know," his family said. "That was his express wish."

Seve's brother Baldomero commented: "The funeral will be as simple as those for any neighbour from the village. He was born here and here he will remain."

The son of a farmer, Ballesteros was one of five brothers. One died in childhood, but the other four - Baldomero, Vicente, Manuel and Seve - remarkably all became golf professionals.