Seve struggles to settle back in

Seve Ballesteros admitted today that nerves got the better of him at the start of his first European Tour event for almost two years.

The 48-year-old scored a six-over-par 77 in the first round of the Madrid Open. It left him close to last place and a massive 14 shots adrift of pacesetters Mark Roe and Robert Karlsson.

“The problem was the first three holes. I didn’t feel comfortable and was a bit tense,” said Ballesteros, returning on the same Club de Campo course where he had his last win 10 years ago.

“Everything was fine until I walked onto the first tee and started to get a bit tight.”

Many thought – and some hoped – the former world number one, who made only one halfway cut in 2002 and one in 2003, would not put himself through any more of the agonies brought on by an arthritic back and the chronic loss of form which accompanied it.

But he is determined to continue his comeback. “This is the beginning – the beginning of a new era for me,” he added.

Those who would rather he did quit might consider it the beginning of a new error as well as a new era, but there was some cause for optimism in the way he recovered from a back nine 41 to play the outward half in level par.

And there was one remarkable shot in that. Off yet another wayward drive down the 467-yard first – his 10th – Ballesteros went down on his knees. Not to pray, but to hit a five-wood recovery.

He made perfect contact but the ball clipped a branch and came down short of the green. From where he saved his par.

“The positive is that I hit some good shots, but the start really made the rest of the day difficult.

“Just to come back is fantastic. The back is fine and tomorrow I hope to have a better start and score well.

“I don’t play for money. I play for pleasure and next year I’m looking forward to playing 15 events.”

Darren Clarke had a best-of-the-year 64 to be only one behind Roe and Karlsson, but Colin Montgomerie – closing in on an eighth Order of Merit title after finishing first and third the last two weeks – was battling jetlag and managed only a 72.

It was inevitable once Ballesteros announced his comeback plans, however, that on this day the main spotlight would be on the man who has done more to raise the profile of European golf than any other player.

Six times a winner of the money list in addition to five major titles and eight Ryder Cup caps, he became a shadow of his former self long ago and the start he made today was sadly not unfamiliar.

The opening drive with a three wood found the trees on the right and led to a bogey. A pulled iron at the short 11th was followed by three putts for a double bogey five.

And when he also double-bogeyed the 15th and dropped another shot at the next Ballesteros was in danger of a score in the mid-eighties.

But while there were to be three more bogeys he eventually found enough form to birdie the 167-yard 17th and the two par fives on the front nine.

Roe and Karlsson were over the hill and far away by then.

The 42-year-old Sheffield golfer celebrated his 500th tour event last week by lifting himself out of the “relegation zone” with a fourth place finish in Tenerife.

Now, up from 117th to 107th on the money list, he equalled the lowest round of his 24-year career.

“I am very proud that I have not lost my card in 20 years,” commented Roe. “There are not many of us in our forties with a card or have the 500 milestone.

“I can’t rest on my laurels. Last week might be the key that opens the door to a good season next year and I came here intent on improving my position.”

Karlsson, who also had eight birdies, has climbed from 116th to 38th on the Order of Merit this year and said: “Everything is running smoothly and the target is to keep doing what I’m doing.

“I know I have it – it’s just whether it comes out or not.”

The two 63s will not go down as matching the course record because placing the ball was allowed on the wet fairways.

Clarke was originally due to be in Las Vegas this week, but pulled out of that and last week’s American Express world championship in San Francisco because of his wife’s health. She has been battling cancer all year.

“I wanted to play somewhere and got an invite here,” said the Ulsterman. “I got away with a couple of poor shots and my short game was sharp.”

Montgomerie, beaten only by Tiger Woods and John Daly at the Amex, chose not to offer tiredness as an excuse, but as a later starter faced the worse of the bumpy greens.

“I’ve played on better surfaces,” he said.

The name Ballesteros did appear on the leaderboard for a while. It was Seve’s 24-year-old nephew Raul, who was also playing on invitation because he does not have a European Tour card, posted a 69.