Golf:Seve Ballesteros has suffered a "severe deterioration" in his condition, his family said this morning. The 54-year-old Spanish legend, a five-times major winner, had surgery on a brain tumour in late 2008 followed by a course of chemotherapy and had been recuperating at his home in northern Spain.

"The family will provide information on his state of health when more news becomes available," said a statement on the player's personal website. His family also expressed their thanks for the support they had received and added that any updates would be published on the website.

Ballesteros had four operations to remove the tumour following his collapse at Madrid airport in October 2008. He appeared in public for the first time following the surgery in May 2009 when he went to watch local soccer team Racing Santander and was given a standing ovation.

Regarded by many as golf's greatest shot-maker, Ballesteros won 87 titles worldwide, 50 of them on the European Tour. A winner of three British Opens and two US Masters titles, he also helped revive Europe's fortunes in the biennial Ryder Cup team competition.

Ballesteros turned professional in 1974 at the age of 16 and made his first huge impact two years later by finishing second in the British Open alongside Jack Nicklaus at Royal Birkdale.

His first major title came in the 1979 British Open at Royal Lytham, he then became Masters champion in 1980 and 1983 and lifted the Claret Jug again at St Andrews in 1984 — his greatest moment really — and back at Lytham in 1988.

He retired from the sport in 2007 following years of battling an arthritic back and knee problems. He was planning a farewell appearance for fans at last year’s British Open at St Andrews — not in the main event, but in the four-hole Champions Challenge — but was not well enough to travel.

Only last month Phil Mickelson decided on a Spanish menu for the Champions Dinner at The Masters in Augusta in honour of Ballesteros.