Seve Ballesteros may have finished only joint third with partner Jose Maria Olazabal and five shots behind Swedish winners Michael Jonzon and Anders Forsbrand in the Novotel Perrier Pairs tournament in Bordeaux over the weekend but he was more than pleased.
For Ballesteros believes he is now running into form after a disastrous start to the year when he could hardly make a cut.
He shot a one-under-par 70 in the final round in Bordeaux, in which each pair played singles and added their two scores together, and said: "I still think I can win an event this year."
As he has only two more in Europe, the Oki Pro-Am in Madrid in two weeks time, and the Volvo Masters in Montcastillo a week later, time is running out but Ballesteros has always been positive - even at his lowest ebb.
"I am hitting the ball down the middle," he said with a smile. "Earlier this year it was going into the trees. Now I'm playing very well and I am much more confident.
"I think my scoring is not as good as I'm playing and I can feel my game is coming along. Sure I can win this year. Why not?"
Jonzon and Forsbrand won the Bordeaux tournament, which involved a four-ball, a foursomes, a greensomes and an aggregate singles.
After finishing tied with Santiago Luna and Jose Rivero with a 90 holes aggregate of 343, 12-under-par, they beat the Spanish pair at the first extra hole of a sudden death play-off.
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