Ballesteros bites back over Westwood whinge

Lee Westwood yesterday likened a game of golf to a visit to the dentist's chair. But if he was waiting for an apology from Seve Ballesteros, the man responsible for causing him pain, it was not forthcoming - far from it, in fact.

Ballesteros has totally re-designed the Crans-sur-Sierre course in Switzerland, scene of this week's Canon European Masters, and, despite an opening 78, the Spanish star is perfectly happy with his handiwork.

Westwood's opening two-under-par 69 left him only three behind American Tom Gillis in the race for the £150,000 first prize, yet the English Ryder Cup player said: "This week used to be good fun, but on the course now it's like having your teeth pulled out."

He was not alone in his criticism of the upturned greens. But when tackled on the issue, Ballesteros, who infuriated Colin Montgomerie with his change to Valderrama's 17th hole, fired back with both barrels.

"I'm not interested in the comments of other players just because of the mood they are in at the moment," he said. "I'm only interested in those who have been building courses for a quite a long time and have experience. If Jack Nicklaus or Robert Trent Jones make a comment I would pay attention, but I'm not interested in the rest.

"My brief was to build a good course, not to raise the scores, and I think the people here in Crans must be very proud because I think they have a great course.

"Every hole is very respectable, with a lot of strategy. It is very well-balanced and a real test."

The lay-out is the one on which Canadian Jerry Anderson achieved a European tour record 27-under-par in 1984 and on which both Jamie Spence and Baldovino Dassu have had rounds of 60.

But they appear records from a different world on yesterday's evidence.

Gillis's 66 was good enough for a two-stroke lead over Yorkshire's Stephen Field, Spaniard Francisco Cea and Argentinian Angel Cabrera.

Only three of the team which will defend the Ryder Cup in Boston in three weeks are playing, and Westwood was the best of them. Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez both fell back from three under to one under.

Clarke's 70 was, nevertheless, three strokes better than the next Irishman, Philip Walton. The Malahide player, who shot 73, desperately needs a couple of good weeks to secure his playing rights for next year.

Eamonn Darcy, Des Smyth and John McHenry, another looking ominously at a return to qualifying school, all shot 74.

Westwood said: "In my opinion it's not a better course. It's like the US Open this year, with the balls running off the greens.

"I didn't like Pinehurst. I just don't think it's fair, and it makes you aim away from flags - which is very boring golf.

"I preferred it here when you turned up and had to shoot 24 under to win. The greens were soft, and everything gathered to the hole. I'm not a great believer in greens that filter off.

"This is a nice week, but on the course it's a lot more mentally draining."

Gillis, a lowly 168th on the Order of Merit with less than £15,000 all year, was only two under with three to play, but then achieved the rare feat of back-to-back twos.

On the 319-yard seventh - driveable in the rarefied air - the 31-year-old from Michigan gave himself a 15-foot eagle chance and made it, then added a 20-foot birdie on the short eighth.

Gillis probably needs in excess of £40,000 more to retain his card, but at least he knows all about leaving it late.

Last season he saved himself with his very last putt - a 15-footer for birdie at the Belgacom Open in October. "I was feeling the heat there," he recalled. "You're talking about your whole career."

Ballesteros did not even finish the leading member of his family. Eighteen-year-old nephew Raul, still an amateur, made his European tour debut and returned a five over 76.