THE controversy over Valderrama's 17th hole spilled into another Continent yesterday when its designer Seve Ballesteros, and its chief critic Colin Montgomerie arrived in Hong Kong for the third Alfred Dunhill Masters.

The Spaniard, still seething over events at last week's Volvo Masters, where he finished the European season in his lowest ever ranking of 69th, dismissed the Scot's criticism as being of no account. He also insisted he would not make any changes to the par five before the match against the US next September.

"Monty's opinion just does not count," he said. "If it was somebody else maybe I would listen, but not to him. I don't like people who criticise things because they are not in a good mood and did not play the hole well. That is not fair, and it is not very objective."

The European number one had slammed the 17th as "the worst hole we play all year" and added the disparaging remark "Seve may be the best player ever, but he is no course designer.".

Yesterday Ballesteros took him to task. "It is very similar to the 15th at Augusta," he said. "It is very spectacular and very dramatic.

In Cup, but bogeys and double bogeys.

"It is a difficult tee shot, and it is a very difficult second shot if you go for the green. It is even difficult with the second shot if you lay up short of the water, because it is very tight, and it is also difficult if you are too long because of the problems in chipping from behind the green. It is a hole that brings out the intelligence and skill of the player."

He also vigorously defended the collar of rough across the fairway at a range of 280 yards from the tee, which infuriated not only Montgomerie but many other golfers. "I put it there because I did not want people hitting eight irons to the green downwind," added Ballesteros "It is a pity those people who criticise my work don't have experience of golf course design. I am very proud of the 17th and I don't think it should be changed in any way. It is one of the best holes at Valderrama."

Montgomerie remains equally adamant. "It has to be altered before the Ryder Cup match," he said. "Everything about it is wrong, and I am not the only who says so.

However neither Ballesteros nor Montgomerie has cause to complain about the exotic Fanling course on which they will duel in Hong Kong, along with Ernie Els and Bernhard Langer for the title worth £50,000 being defended by New Zealander Michael Campbell.

Montgomerie, winner of the Volvo ranking for a record equalling fourth successive year, is starting a five week "lap of honour" which will take him all round the Far East, then to South Africa.

Next week he will be joined by Ian Woosnam, Els and Fijian Vijay Singh in a 72 hole Super Skins played in the four capital cities of Taipei, Seoul, Manila, and Bangkok. Then he has business in the Philippines, before his last event of 1996, the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City.

Ballesteros, who has a recurrence of tendonitis in his left wrist, will next week go to Japan for the Visa Taiheyo Masters, and then take a winter break. "I will practice, exercise a bit, and aim to be in good shape for next year," he said.