Ballesteros brothers struggle for form

Manuel Ballesteros had a disappointing first round

By BBC Sport Online's John Haughey

It has become an all-too familiar sight at golf tournaments. The name Ballesteros almost propping up the field.

But while Seve's youthful verve is long gone as he painfully toils to rediscover even a semblance of his former greatness, the former US Masters and Open champion has not quite reached 50 yet.

Instead his brother Manuel was enduring struggles on the first day of the Senior British Open at Royal County Down.

An 11-over-par 82 left him ahead of only seven players in the 132-strong field.

"I am like Seve this year. I do not know what is going wrong.

If it was me, I would give up. No question

  Manuel Ballesteros

"My confidence is very low and that is the reason I am struggling as well. I am not enjoying the game as I used to.

"It is difficult to enjoy this game when you have no confidence and you think that you should be at home."

Close your eyes and the similarity in voice would have fooled you that it was Seve himself who had just spoken.

But while Manuel has endured a bad day on the fairways, inevitably the conversation quickly drifts onto the subject of his famous brother just as one suspects it always does when journalists quiz the 52-year-old.

Seve Ballesteros has seen his form slide

Manuel freely admits that he does not know how Seve manages to keep going amidst his continuing slump.

"If he was to keep going the way he has been playing, and getting such bad results, if it was me - I would give up. No question. But that is my own opinion".

Manuel prefaces many of his remarks by pointing that it is his opinion, seemingly trying to suggest that his view should not carry any more weight than the sympathy exhibited for Seve in the average golf club bar.

"I do not know exactly what is going on because if I knew I would tell him.

"What has happened to him, and this is my own opinion, is that he has too many teachers around and he has lost the game.

"One teacher says one thing - another says something else and he is totally confused".

Rediscover form

The official European Seniors Tour guide describes Manuel as Seve's former mentor and manager but he refuses to get into any discussion about his role in the great man's development.

"I never say that I was a big influence. I do not like to say that.

"That is a secret for me and I am not going to say anything to anybody about that".

But while Manuel says with a sigh that he thinks Seve can rediscover his form, it's clear that the last number of years have caused him a lot of anguish.

Manuel almost now feels the need to switch off from Seve's struggles as the best way of dealing with it.

"I have been suffering a lot (seeing Seve struggle) and still I suffer - not as much as in the past because I have been suffering in the past and I am trying not to suffer now.

'Game back'

"I see him occasionally (not every week). I don't live very far from him but he is travelling and when I'm travelling (to tournaments) he is maybe at home so we don't see other very often".

Such has been Seve's dreadful form that the thought of the former major winner playing on Seniors golf barely seems to have been contemplated.

"He has not said anything to me about playing Seniors Golf but maybe he will - if he gets his game back".

Manuel and the Ballesteros family can only hope.