On-the-clock Seve in blazing row with official

A FURIOUS Seve Ballesteros crashed out of the Madeira Island Open yesterday – but not before accusing the tournament director of calling him a liar and conducting a blazing row in the carpark.

Ballesteros took the unusual step of asking to speak to

the press after a second round 75 which left him seven over par and missing the halfway

cut at Santo da Serra.

The five-time major winner was fuming about being timed by two tournament referees for 10 holes and told to speed up play as his group had fallen 36 minutes behind schedule after just nine holes.

The 45-year-old was also irate after claiming referee John Grant said: 'I don't care,' when Ballesteros tried to explain why his three-ball was taking so long.

Journalists then spoke to tournament director Jose Maria Zamora who doubted that Grant would have said that to Ballesteros.

When Ballesteros found out, he accused Zamora of calling him a liar and stormed back into the press centre, demanding Zamora join him in speaking to the press together.

Zamora refused to do so however, and Ballesteros went out into the car park where the two conducted a furious row in Spanish.

The incident totally overshadowed the battle for the lead, which saw Spain's Jesus Maria Arruti and England's Andrew Sherborne on five under par when play was suspended for the day.

Arruti had played 12 holes of his round, while Sherborne had completed six, and the pair were among 69 players forced to complete their second rounds on Saturday a legacy of the three-and-a-half hours' play lost on Thursday.

Wales' Bradley Dredge, England's Andrew Marshall and Swede Henrik Stenson shared the clubhouse lead on three under.