Spaniards to the fore

Seve Ballesteros, playing with Jose-Maria Olazabal in the Novotel Perrier Pairs tournament in Bordeaux yesterday, had no time for Ian Woosnam's claims that he had been a poor Ryder Cup captain. "I have a lot of respect for Ian and everyone is entitled to say what they want," said Ballesteros.

"But I feel sorry that we were only five points ahead going into the singles on Sunday. Maybe a better captain would have been 10 points ahead," he added.

Woosnam, who said that Ballesteros never spoke to him, agreed yesterday that he would like to be captain, to which Ballesteros countered: "From what he says I'm sure he will be the best captain ever."

Earlier, Ballesteros and Olazabal, together again for the first time since they won this Pairs tournament two years ago, shot a four-under-par 67 in the first round four-ball to end the day three shots off the lead.

This unique event has a fourball on the first day, a foursomes on the second, a greensomes tomorrow and both players in each pair play a singles on Sunday.

Three of the five pairs who lead on 64, Carl Suneson and Pedro Linhart, Ignacio Garrido and Miguel Carrasco, and Jose Rivero and Santiago Luna, are Spanish.

The other two, Jeff Remesy and Raphael Jacquelin, and JeanLouis Guepy and Michel Besanceney, are French.

(Brit unless stated)

64 - J Remesy and R Jacquelin (Fra), C Suneson and P Linhart (Spa), J-L Guepy and M Besanceney (Fra), I Garrido and M Carrasco (Spa), S Luna and J Rivero (Spa).

65 - R Lee and M Davis, M Tunnicliff and J Robson, P Curry and A Sherborne, A Hunter and G Orr, J Van de Velde (Fra) and B Lane, A Forsbrand and M Jonzon (Swe).

66 - D Howell and S Cage, P Hedblom and P Sjoland (Swe), R McFarlane and D J Russell, M Farry (Fra) and M Roe, P Lawrie and R Drummond, J Spence and M Mouland.

67 - I Pyman and D Carter, S Ballesteros and J-M Olazabal (Spa), P Baker and P Broadhurst.

68 - M Harwood (Aus) and S Alker (NZ), S Richardson and R Willison, D Hospital and F Roca (Spa), J Payne and P Price, T Gogele (Ger) and M Gronberg (Swe), W Westner (RSA) and M Mackenzie. 69 - W Riley (Aus) and C Mason, J Lomas and S Bottomley, A Cejka (Ger) and F Tarnaud (Fra).

70 - R Boxall and D Cooper.