Ballesteros shows signs of recovery

Seve Ballesteros kept alive his hopes of making only his fourth halfway cut in two years in the Madeira Island Open this morning.

Ballesteros has won more than 80 titles worldwide, including five major championships, but has not tasted victory since 1995 or had a top 10 finish since 1998.

The 45-year-old’s slump in form reached such a low point last season that he chose not to play in the Open championship for the first time in 27 years, and also decided not to compete in any events in Britain at all.

Of the nine events he did turn up for in 2002, he missed the cut in six, withdrew after one round in Switzerland, was disqualified from the Irish Open after signing for a 10 instead of a 12 on the 18th hole, and made just one halfway cut.

That came here at Santo da Serra in Madeira, where he also qualified for the final two rounds in 2001, his only other success since then coming in the European Masters in September that year.

His prospects did not look good after the opening day’s play either, when a three-and-a-half hour delay due to morning thunderstorms meant Ballesteros was only able to complete eight holes of his first round.

A birdie at the third got him off to a good start, but a double bogey on the fifth and bogey on the sixth dropped the Spaniard back to two over par.

Resuming his round at 8.30am today however, Ballesteros made a par on the ninth to be out in 38, and then birdied the par five 11th to get back to just one over.

With the wind blowing that was looking a good score, although it was seven shots off the pace set by compatriot Jesus Maria Arruti, whose 66 yesterday gave him a one-shot lead over Holland’s Robert-Jan Derksen, making his first appearance since his stunning victory in the Dubai Desert Classic.