European Tour: Seve Ballesteros admitted that nerves got the better of him at the start of his first European Tour event for almost two years yesterday. The 48-year-old shot a six-over-par 77 in the first round of the Madrid Open, which 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 on to the first tee and started to get a bit tight."

Many thought - and some hoped - the former world number one, who made only one 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, who is 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.

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 yesterday 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 double-bogeyed the 15th and dropped another shot at the next Ballesteros was in danger of a score in the mid-80s.

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 40s 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."

Clarke was 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 Dungannon man. "I got away with a couple of poor shots and my short game was sharp."

Clarke, who started at the 10th, didn't drop a shot and reeled off five birdies in seven holes from the 14th, before adding birdies at the sixth and seventh.

Damien McGrane had six birdies in his three-under 68, while Gary Murphy included an eagle and a double bogey in his 71.

At Club de Campo, Madrid

(British unless stated, par 71)

63 - Robert Karlsson (Swe), Mark Roe.

64 - Darren Clarke (NIre), Raphael Jacquelin (Fra).

66 - Graeme Storm, Brett Rumford (Aus), Alastair Forsyth, Christian Cevaer (Fra), Jose-Filipe Lima (Por).

67 - Jose Manuel Lara (Spa), Francois Delamontagne (Fra), Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned), Martin Erlandsson (Swe), Jose Maria Olazabal (Spa), Anders Hansen (Den), Maarten Lafeber (Ned), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spa), Henrik Nystrom (Swe), Gary Emerson.

68 - Anthony Wall, Peter Hedblom (Swe), David Park, Damien McGrane (Ire), Paul Lawrie, Stuart Little, Simon Khan, Brad Kennedy (Aus), Garry Houston, Stuart Manley.

69 - Miguel Angel Martin (Spa), Christopher Hanell (Swe), Markus Brier (Aut), Emanuele Canonica (Ita), Raul Ballesteros (Spa), Johan Skold (Swe), Alessandro Tadini (Ita), Oliver Wilson, Alvaro Salto (Spa), Mark Foster, (x) Jorge Mazario (Spa), Ian Garbutt, David Lynn, Stephen Gallacher, Ian Woosnam, Fernando Roca (Spa), Gregory Bourdy (Fra), Gregory Havret (Fra), Fredrik Andersson Hed (Swe), Santiago Luna (Spa), Ben Mason.

70 - Andrew Marshall, Mattias Eliasson (Swe), Neil Cheetham, Jose Manuel Carriles (Spa), Phillip Archer, Marcel Siem (Ger), Soren Hansen (Den), Gary Murphy (Ire), Scott Drummond, Wade Ormsby (Aus), David Carter, Johan Axgren (Swe).

71 - Costantino Rocca (Ita), Andrew Oldcorn, Simon Dyson, Carlos De Corral (Spa), Miles Tunnicliff, Robert Coles, James Kingston (Rsa), Paul Broadhurst, John Bickerton, Jean-Francois Lucquin (Fra), Marc Cayeux (Zim).

72 - Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spa), Peter Gustafsson (Swe), Malcolm Mackenzie, Francesco Molinari (Ita), Matthew King, Andrew Coltart, Soren Kjeldsen (Den), Steve Webster, Colin Montgomerie, Ricardo Gonzalez (Arg), Steven O'Hara, Klas Eriksson (Swe), Rolf Muntz (Ned), David Drysdale, Peter Fowler (Aus), Carlos Rodiles (Spa), Jesus Maria Arruti (Spa).

73 - Simon Wakefield, Jonathan Lomas, Stephen Scahill (Nzl), Mads Vibe-Hastrup (Den), Jarmo Sandelin (Swe), Raymond Russell, Lee Slattery, Richard Bland.

74 - Mikko Ilonen (Fin), Sandy Lyle, Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Ignacio Garrido (Spa), Patrik Sjoland (Swe), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Richard Finch, Diego Borrego (Spa), Fredrik Henge (Swe), Philip Golding, Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa).

75 - Jamie Donaldson, Marten Olander (Swe), Martin Maritz (Rsa), Ivo Giner (Spa).

76 - Marcus Fraser (Aus), Leif Westerberg (Swe), (x) Pedro Oriol (Spa).

77 - Seve Ballesteros (Spa), Gordon Brand Jnr, Daniel Gallardo (Spa).

78 - Juan Carlos Pinero (Spa).

80 - Juan Vizcaya (Spa).

WD: Gordon Brand Jnr (Eng).