Ballesteros takes swipe at tour ‘mafia’

SEVE BALLESTEROS accused the European Tour ‘mafia’ of ‘waging a war’ against him after he was disqualified from the Italian Open on Saturday.

The five-time major winner was disqualified for signing for an incorrect score after refusing to accept a one-stroke penalty for slow play. The 46-year-old then called a press conference in which he alleged tour officials were out to get him because of his membership of the so-called ‘Gang of Four’ who complained about how the tour was being run.

Ballesteros claimed the Seve Trophy would not survive because the tour’s executive director Ken Schofield was against it as the tour “don’t have any piece of the cake”.