Seve Ballesteros has declined an invite from the European tour to join other former Ryder Cup players and captains at today's opening ceremony for this year's tournament at The Belfry. European tour executive director Ken Schofield insisted that they did everything they could to persuade the Spaniard to attend today's ceremony, which will honour those who were involved in past tournaments.
However, in an interview with the BBC, Ballesteros, who was captain in 1987 and involved in eight matches before that, revealed that he saw no reason for him to attend this year's event. "I have nothing to do - I am not the captain or vice-captain. I hope the British people understand. The Ryder Cup has always been a fantastic tournament and very special for me. It's always been played with a lot of passion. As I was last time, I will be watching," he said.
When asked if there was a possibility that Ballesteros feels he is not wanted at the event, Schofield replied: "Possibly, Seve is the only man who could come to that conclusion. The response from former players has been superb. Over 50 are present from both sides of the Atlantic."
Filed by Amanda Fennelly
