Seve Ballesteros is practising after missing the cut in the Irish Open in Ballybunion. There are several hundred spectators watching as he conducts an intense conversation with his brother Baldomero, who is giving him a lesson.
The discussions are all technical and seem to involve getting some width and length on the backswing, and the hip and shoulder alignment. Ballesteros watches every shot, all seemingly perfect, until they land right by the 150-yard marker. Then he drops the clubhead to the ground, wipes it off automatically with his foot and sets himself up for the next shot.
It is a familiar picture of a pro practising. Unfortunately, Ballesteros now fits the derogatory term of "practice-ground pro": the player who is perfect on the range but cannot take that game on to the golf course.
Why? Such is his stature in the game and so universally is he loved and admired that almost everyone in the world of golf wants desperately to help.
Philip Parkin
Former European tour player, now Sky TV commentator.
"I was in Dubai earlier this year and Seve spent two hours on the practice ground with Hank Haney, who coaches Mark O'Meara. He got Seve doing a completely different backswing and he got into a great position, came through and it looked fantastic. Seve could actually, for once, release the club because as he releases it now it just goes way left. It looked fantastic. I spoke to Hank afterwards and said: `You know, after seeing that I think Seve's going to win again, in the next two years, there's no question, he's going to win.'
"Haney said to me: `He won't. Because whenever Seve has a lesson off someone, he tries it for a day, or maybe two days at the most, and then just goes back to his old way.' Anyway, I saw Seve in Qatar the next week and he'd gone back to his old way and was really struggling again.
"The solution? There's no question that the problem is his hands are too active around impact, so you never know where it's going. You can't play golf, even someone with the co-ordination he's got.
"I played with Seve when he was phenomenal. I played practice rounds with him in the early '80s at the British Open and the Masters as well, when he was defending champion in 1984, and he hit shots that were magnificent. Came down the 15th hole at Augusta, he hit a three-wood on to the 15th and it was 10 feet left of the flag. I'm saying `Great shot,' and he said `It didn't feel right.' So he hit another ball and it finished two inches from the flag. He said, `That's better, let's hit another one just to make sure.' So he got another one and hit that two inches from the flag.
"Then we get to the next tee, the 16th hole, over water, par three. He says, `Watch this,' and gets a three-iron out. He says, `It'll bounce five times on the water and skip on to the green,' so he did; he got a three-iron, it bounced five times on the water, skipped up to 15 feet from the flag."
Dave McNeilly
Caddie for Nick Faldo in the 1980s and now with Padraig Harrington.
"In a way, I think you can blame Nick Faldo for the demise of Seve and also for Sandy Lyle. Nick became a hugely successful golfer who relied on having a teacher around all the time and suddenly, because of his success, it became fashionable. Now Seve in his halcyon days hit it all over the place but it didn't matter because he was so naturally gifted. He played on feel; like, say, Christy O'Connor Snr. Ask Christy how he played a shot and he'd say, `Well, I give it a bit of that, whatever "that" is.' Same with Seve. Ask him to rotate the clubhead, or pronate or supinate or any of that, and he'd screw up big time.
"Obviously gurus have their place and Bob Torrance, for instance, has made a huge difference to Padraig. But when you're talking genius it's a totally different scenario. Golf used to be solely in Seve's mind, all he saw was the ball going to the target, and when that changed and became a page in a text book, it all went wrong."
Pete Coleman
Ballesteros' caddie in 1980 and 1982.
"To me he was the best in the world, there wasn't a shot he couldn't play. He could be an evil sonofabitch but everyone wanted to watch him because in 18 holes you would always get something to remember, a touch of genius. It's sad now to see a guy with his ability playing like he does but he's not the only one. There's Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle as well, they're all around 43 and they've all had so many disappointments as well as the glory. There aren't sufficient positive thoughts; they get into a mode when, for instance, they get to a green and all they can think is `I don't want to three-putt.' They don't think they're doing that but I know they are, and if you want to compete with the young guys these days you've got to be brave. No one was braver than Seve, but not any more."
Ian Woosnam
Winner of the 1991 US Masters and 42 other tournaments.
"If I were Seve I would pick a coach, a really good coach who makes it simple, and spend the next six months working on one swing and just get it sorted out.
"He's shut at the top and then when he comes into impact he tries to open it back up. If he keeps it shut when he comes into impact he snap-hooks it, so then he falls back on it and opens up the face and blocks it. He's got to learn to aim the club face more right, so the club face will be more neutral at the top and then he's got to have the feeling of closing it coming down. He's got to play it completely the other way around, but you can't say that to Seve, you know."
Sam Torrance
Ryder Cup captain and winner of 31 tournaments.
"Seve? He's very intense. I think he's working too hard on his swing. He's changing something every week and on the range you see him practising all day, every day. Maybe (he should) just relax, go out and enjoy his golf.
"Is he an embarrassment? That's b*******." My God, he's still out here, he's still an attraction. People still love to see him play and they would love nothing better than to see him win again. Is that possible? Absolutely. What is he, 42, 43? I had my best year ever at 45, so things can change."
Jos Vanstiphout
Describes himself as a "mental coach" to many European tour players.
"Is there one coach he has not seen? And how can any coach teach Severiano Ballesteros what to do? He has too much information. You see Seve these days and he can't pass a mirror without taking a stance, trying his grip, and yet his only problem is a mental one. He has to forget technique and focus on the present: this shot, not the next, visualise it, keep it simple. Let the subconscious take over and play real Seve golf.
"I would love to try and help on the mental side but two years ago he came to me in Munich and asked for advice. We spoke and he went out and did a 65, but I haven't seen him since. It would only need half an hour a day, but he would have to promise to listen."
Raul Ballesteros
Nephew and a plus-one handicapper, while playing in the British Amateur championship at Hoylake.
"Would I give my uncle advice? No, no, no, everyone is doing that . . . it is the problem."
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