Seve's nephew makes stunning start

Raul Ballesteros, the 25-year-old nephew of Seve, had his lowest round on the European Tour today – and came off bitterly disappointed.

After 16 holes of the Spanish Open at San Roque, Ballesteros – who has yet to earn a tour card and is playing on a sponsor’s invitation – was an unbelievable nine under par and four clear of the field.

But he finished bogey-double bogey for a 66 – still his best by two – and lost the lead to Portugal’s Jose-Filipe Lima and England’s Graeme Storm.

Colin Montgomerie, meanwhile, stood six-under before bouncing into a bush off a cart path and double-bogeying the fifth, his 14th, for a 68.

“I’ve had a couple of 61s at my home course Pedrena, but I’ve never been nine-under on tour before and I got a bit nervous,” commented Ballesteros. “But that’s golf. These things happen.

“Before the 17th I was thinking nothing could go wrong.”

Ballesteros, with a best finish of only 33rd in 32 previous tour appearances, turned in 32 and then started the front nine with five more birdies in seven holes.

He missed the green at the difficult short eighth, however, and on the next chipped from one side of the green into the lake on the other.

Former British amateur champion Storm, from Hartlepool, is seeking his first tour victory and stood seven-under with one to play.

Lima had four birdies and an eagle, covering the back nine in 30, and after bogeying the first picked up further shots at the seventh and eighth.

Montgomerie’s day was eventful even before he got to the course.

His regular caddie Alastair McLean telephoned him to say he felt too ill to work – he caught a bug in China last week – and the eight-time European number one used what he called the ‘caddie network’ to find a last-minute replacement.

Northern Irishman Owen Craig, on holiday in the area, was contacted and agreed to step in.

“He did a very good job and he’ll be with me the next three days as we try to win this,” said Montgomerie, adding confidently: “That’s my worst score of the week. I thought 20-under would win, so I need six-under tomorrow and a couple of five-unders.”

The Scot last week ended a career-worst run of five successive missed cuts and went on to finish joint third in the Asian Open.

Three of those early exits were in America, including the Masters, and Montgomerie does not mind admitting that he feels more comfortable on home soil.

“I have never really felt that comfortable in the States and therefore I have never won a 72-hole event there,” he said. “It’s something I’d like to change and I will I think.”

The biggest money-winner in European history – with over £16m (€23m) – has gone back to a belly putter, but it is seeing his name on a leaderboard that does most for his confidence.

Montgomerie said: “I was always comfortable being number one and less comfortable when I wasn't. There are some people who are not comfortable leading as they feel a bogey is on the way.

“I’ve dedicated myself to the European scene and I’ve been very successful at it. I don’t regret not having played (more) anywhere else.”