GOLF/Madeira Open: Seve Ballesteros last night found himself in the unusual position of being inside the top 10 after the first round of the Madeira Island Open.
Ballesteros carded an opening two-under-par 70 at Santo da Serra, one of only a handful of scores under par in testing conditions that greeted the early starters, a blustery wind buffeting the course perched 2,300 feet above sea level.
The 44-year-old, without a tournament victory since 1995, even led the event at one stage after playing the front nine in three under par.
But he was eventually overtaken by unknown Frenchman Olivier David who carded a superb six-under-par 66 for a two-shot lead over compatriot Benoit Teilleria with defending champion Des Smyth a shot further back in a four-way tie for third.
"I played very well, especially on the front nine, but I struggled a bit on the back nine," said Ballesteros, who hopes to confirm his European team for the second Seve Trophy on Sunday.
Smyth who was in his 28th consecutive season and aged 48 years and 34 days when he won here 12 months ago, fired six birdies and three bogeys and said: "I am delighted. I had a couple of three-putts on the front nine and missed a very short putt on the 10th so when you add those three shots together and still shoot 69, I'm very happy. I played really well in between those mistakes."
For a time Smyth was outdone by his playing partner Ballesteros, but a sixth birdie of the round at the 16th took the Irishman a stroke better than the Spaniard.
"The wind was swishing around, so on this course, with ravines to carry and things like that, you're holding your breath.
"Experience definitely helps. Seve and I played some nice golf around the greens, especially. I won't be thinking about defending my title until Sunday afternoon, though. I won it last year by coming home in 31 and that's when it will be won this year you can be sure," Smyth added.
David, playing only his fourth European Tour event as a professional, usually plies his trade on the Challenge Tour after missing out at the qualifying school in November with a final round 76 when level par 72 would have been enough to secure his card.
The highlight of his round was an eagle on the par five seventh, his 16th hole, when he hit a five wood from semi-rough to 30 feet and holed the putt.
"I played in the first two events on the Challenge Tour this year, missed the cut in Kenya and finished 28th in Zambia.
"My game was alright but I didn't get the stroke on the greens. But I came here on Sunday feeling good and I holed some good putts."
MADEIRA ISLAND OPEN (at Santo da Serra) - First round scores (Brit unless stated, Irish in bold): 66 - O David (Fra) 68 - B Teilleria (Fra) 69 - D Smyth, I Goroneskoul (Fra), W Huget (Ger), S Luna (Spa) 70 - P Fowler (Aus), M Persson Atlevi (Swe), A Oldcorn, S Ballesteros (Spa), O Edmond (Fra), M Florioli (Ita), C Hoffman (USA), C Pottier (Fra), R Coles, M Blackey, H Otto (Rsa), B Barham, D Terblanche (Rsa), M Tunnicliff, P Walton 71 - H Stenson (Swe), M Nilsson (Swe), D De Vooght (Bel), A Sherborne, S Richardson, E Canonica (Ita), D Drysdale, P Dwyer 72 - RJ Derksen (Ned), J Bickerton, N Cheetham, M Scarpa (Ita), A Binaghi (Ita), P Malmgren (Swe), J Robinson, A Ljunggren (Swe), D Borrego (Spa), M Pendaries (Fra) 73 - P Golding, N Vanhootegem (Bel), J M Arruti (Spa), S Kammann (USA), G Hutcheon, R Winchester, D Higgins, I Giner (Spa), J Berendt (Arg), P Magnebrant (Swe), J Bevan, D Lynn, Y Nilsson (Swe). Selected: 81 - G Fox, Patuzzo (Swi), I Taylor, D Silva (Por), P Purhonen (Fin), P Lawrie, F Guermani (Ita), M Lanner (Swe) 82 - T Havemann (Den), P Broadhurst 83 - M Eliasson (Swe), J Johnson, F Andersson (Swe), W Bennett 84 - M Davis, J Dias (Por)
