Flawed timing leaves Seve in the shadows

SEVE BALLESTEROS would like it known that, contrary to a recent magazine report, he did not bring his troubled game to leading guru, David Leadbetter. "The only good thing about the article was the picture, which made me look about 10 years younger," said the Spaniard, who will be 40 on April 9th. "I was happy with that."

Europe's skipper was holding what he described as his first official Ryder Cup press conference yesterday, here at the Emirates club where the £700,000 Desert Classic starts tomorrow. The flawed timing in his golf game was also evident off-course, however, insofar as the exercise was overshadowed by the comeback appearance of compatriot Jose-Maria Olazabal.

In the event, Ballesteros duly dealt with personal troubles before the conversation could be taken to broader issues. It emerged that in the process of missing the cut in his opening two tournaments in South Africa, he sought the help of a local professional there, Martin Witcher. "It was clear from his computer that I was moving my head very much to the right on the backswing," he said.

Whereupon one of his inquisitors suggested: "Doesn't everybody do that?" You could almost hear "seven, eight, nine, 10" from an exasperated Ballesteros before he replied acidly: "Well, it seems to me that everybody knows about the game nowadays. I have no idea what's going on. It makes me feel like I have never played this game before."

Then, in more considered tones, he talked about the other half of the so-called Spanish Armada - the most feared partnership in the history of the Ryder Cup, with 11 wins and two halves out of 15 matches together. "He has been through a very difficult time, being struck by an injury at the highest point of his career," said Ballesteros.

He went on: "It's tough. Golf is very important for Jose-Maria. Before I went to South Africa, he came all the way from San Sebastian to Pedrena to play. I was very impressed with the way he was swinging the club and I was very happy and very pleased to see him walking properly."

He couldn't have been any happier than Irish caddie John Mulrooney, who stood here on the practice ground yesterday, watching his revitalised "master" in action. Nor than his faithful manager, Sergio Gomez, who watched every move from the comfort of a chair.

Mulrooney took over from Dave Renwick as Olazabal's caddie in the wake of the 1994 US Masters win. "When he stopped playing after the Lancome in September 1995, I kept in touch during that winter, wondering about his plans," said the 28-year-old from Bray.

"Then, at the start of last year, I didn't know from week to week what was going to happen. Eventually, it became clear in April that he wasn't going to play last season and he told me I was free to work with somebody else. But there was always the understanding that when he started playing, again, I would be back with him.

They eventually got back together here this week and according to Mulrooney, it was like they had never been apart. Olazabal shot an approximate one under par in practice on Monday and was about two over for another.practice round yesterday.

On this, his first appearance here, he is also playing in today's pro-am and then hopes to complete four rounds in the tournament proper. "That will be seven straight days," he said. "I haven't done that in practice before. It used to be two days and then a break."

We shook hands and I wished him well. And it struck me that he looked as fit and relaxed as I had ever seen him. It was only as he walked away after the day's activities that one noticed a slight stiffness in his right foot. But this remained a major triumph from the time, not so long ago, when "it was a struggle to stay standing for much more than 10 to 15 minutes."

Then there were the hurtful, horror stories about him over the previous 18 months. "At one stage I had cancer; at another stage I had AIDS and the next thing I had put on 100 kilos of weight and couldn't lace my shoes," he said. "That was supposed to be the reason I didn't come out of the house.

"It didn't hurt me but I thought it was funny that people should say these things without knowing the truth. They should be ashamed.

Despite his protests, it was a hurt that Olazabal could clearly have done without. But that, and the ordeal of almost two years of physical pain, have made him a far more mature person. "Hopefully I have learned not to be so dramatic about things, as I was before, and also to be more patient than I have been," he said.

In a broader context, however, Ballesteros caught the mood of an emotionally-charged situation when he said: "It is good for him and good for the European Tour that he is back." There were no dissenters from that view as the one-time sorcerer's apprentice took a step nearer resuming the career of a master craftsman.