Seve Ballesteros endured a nightmare return to the European Tour after a two-year absence on Thursday when he carded a six-over-par 77 in the first round of the Madrid Open.
The 48-year-old Spaniard, who gave fans a taste of his old magic when he hit one shot on his knees, never recovered from a horror start that saw him six over after just seven holes.
”The problem was the first three holes. I didn’t feel comfortable and was a bit tense,” admitted Ballesteros, who won the last of his 50 titles here at the Club de Campo course in 1995.
”That made the rest of the day difficult, but I played well on the back nine and started feeling like I did before I played.
”Everything was fine until I walked on to the first tee and started to get a bit tight.”
The five-time Major champion, who has endured a series of knee and back problems in recent years, teed off at the par-four 10th but dropped three strokes in his first two holes on his way to an outward nine of six over 41.
However, Ballesteros, who last played in a stroke-play event at this tournament in 2003, upped his game after the turn.
He offset a bogey at the second with a birdie at the fourth, produced a couple of par-saving putts from 10 feet and picked up his third shot of the day at the par-five seventh.
Although he missed a four-footer for par at the eighth, he completed the nine in level par 36.
At the other end of the score board, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson and Mark Roe of England swept into a share of the first-round lead with eight-under-par 63s.
Northern Irelands Darren Clarke, who has played a limited schedule this year due to his wife’s illness, also compiled an error-free round, his seven-under-par 64 being good enough to share third place with Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin.
Roe has only once finished outside the top 115 on the Order of Merit in 20 seasons on Tour.
After a steady start, the 42-year-old collected eight birdies in 15 holes, including four in the last six. — Sapa-AFP