Ballesteros struggles on comeback

Trees right, trees left. Bogey, double bogey. That was Seve Ballesteros’s first two holes on the European tour for almost two years today.

Returning on the Club de Campo course where he won the last of his record 50 tour titles in 1995, the 48-year-old wanted a solid start in the Madrid Open, but had anything but.

His opening tee shot with a three-wood went high, right and not very handsome. He tried to hit a recovery shot through an avenue of trees, but caught one of them and deflected into the rough.

A good third shot to 10 feet followed, but he missed the par putt. Then, on the short 11th, he pulled into trouble, only just made the green with his chip and three-putted.

Three over par after only two holes he was already four behind the early leaders, who included England’s Simon Dyson and Graeme Storm and Welshman David Park. Darren Clarke was level par.

An arthritic back condition has been chiefly responsible for keeping Ballesteros out of action, but the game that made him so compelling to watch had long since deserted him when he decided to call a halt to his career.

The former world number one’s last appearance was in November 2003 in the Seve Trophy, the event introduced in 2000 to mark his contribution to European golf.

Even with the help of Jose Maria Olazabal and then Sergio Garcia he lost all his four games at El Saler, the last of them a five and four thumping by Colin Montgomerie.

Prior to that Ballesteros, a shadow of his former self, played a mere eight tour events all year, making the cut in only one and finishing 279th on the Order of Merit.

That continued a steady drop for the six-time leading money-winner. He dropped outside the top 100 in 1997 and outside the top 200 in 2000, while in the majors he has not made a single halfway cut since the 1996 Masters.

The facts and figures on the sad decline of one of sport’s most charismatic figures make gruesome reading and the three-time Open champion has fallen so far it will be truly amazing if he can even challenge for a title again.

But when asked for his expectations after a two over par 73 in the curtain-raising pro-am Ballesteros replied: “To play, hit good shots and enjoy.

“Physically I feel very well and I am very tranquillo. I have nothing to lose. I’m not nervous now, but maybe tomorrow.

“Golf has always been my passion and competing has always been great,” he added. “It’s one thing I always like and enjoy – I like to feel the pressure.

“To play is what I love to do most. And to play for as long as I can? Of course.

“The only thing that worries me is that when you don’t play for nearly two years you have lost a little bit of focus and it’s difficult to have the competitive instinct.”

As for the future he states: “Just to be here is great. Let’s go step by step. But whatever happens this week I will play next year on tour.”

Yet while playing all four rounds first time out would appear a triumph Ballesteros himself adds: “First 10 would be a great result, but why not winning? What’s wrong with dreaming?

“The world is full of surprises.”

Colin Montgomerie, among the later starters today and with his sights on making it tougher for Michael Campbell and Retief Goosen to deny him a record eighth Order of Merit crown in two weeks’ time, wished Ballesteros well in his comeback.

“If he makes the cut I think that will be a super effort,” said the Scot, who returned to number one for the first time in six years when he finished third behind Tiger Woods and John Daly in the American Express world championship on Sunday.

“He is looking for better than that being Seve, but I think after two years out that would give him confidence.

“There must be some trepidation, but let’s hope he can put two decent scores together. No, four decent scores.”