Improvement too late for Ballesteros

Seve Ballesteros restored some of his battered pride today – but still made an early exit from the BMW International Open.

Ballesteros slumped to a first round 84 in Munich to lie last of the 156-strong field by five shots in his first event for almost four months.

The five-time major winner improved by 12 shots this morning with a second round 72, but at 12 over was 27 shots off the lead and at least 14 outside the likely halfway cut.

It means the 46-year-old has made two cuts in six events this season, although on both occasions his limited success was marred by controversy.

In the Madeira Island Open Ballesteros was convinced he had missed the cut at seven over par and blamed the fact that he had been told to speed up play because his group had fallen 36 minutes behind schedule.

He accused tournament director Jose Maria Zamora of calling him a liar and ended up having a blazing row in the car park with his fellow Spaniard.

And after making the cut in the Italian Open in May Ballesteros was disqualified after his third round for refusing to accept a one-shot penalty for slow play and altering his scorecard.

He then called a press conference and accused the European Tour ’mafia’ of waging ’a war’ against him, alleging officials were out to get him because of his membership of the so-called ’Gang of Four’ who had complained about how the tour was being run.

The following week he missed the cut in the Benson and Hedges International Open at the Belfry and was last seen at the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth where he pulled out citing flu after being fined and severely reprimanded for his conduct in Italy.

At the other end of the leaderboard, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson had set the early clubhouse target of 15 under par.

Karlsson, winner here in 1997 and defending his European Masters title next week, fired two eagles and five birdies in his second round 64 for a halfway total of 129.

That gave him a three-shot lead over compatriot Peter Hedblom with overnight leader Raphael Jacquelin also 12 under with two to play.

English duo Paul Casey and Lee Westwood were a shot further back on 11 under with three holes to play, former European number one Westwood showing signs of rediscovering the form which brought him seven victories worldwide and the Order of Merit title in 2000.