Seve Ballesteros' hopes of recalling the glory days with a charge up the leaderboard suffered an early blow in the Madeira Island Open today.
Ballesteros made the cut for the first time since the European Masters in Switzerland in September at Santo da Serra, having missed 29 in 41 tournaments before this week.
The 43-year-old Spaniard's second-round 68 was also the first time he had broken par since a 69 in the second round in The Open at St Andrews last year, and his lowest for 16 months since a 68 in the Volvo Masters in 1999.
But the five-time major winner had been cautious about his prospects, and that reluctance to celebrate what could be yet another false dawn proved well founded in the early stages of the third round.
After opening with two pars Ballesteros dropped shots at the third and fourth before a birdie on the sixth got him back to four under par.
That was still eight shots off the lead held by Sweden's Niclas Fasth, however, the defending champion carding a brilliant 63 yesterday to open up a two-shot buffer over England's John Bickerton on 12 under par.
Des Smyth, four shots adrift at the halfway stage, has yet to start his third round.