Seve Ballesteros said today he thought it was "very possible" he could win next month's Madrid Open - his first tournament for 23 months.
The 48-year-old partnered Michael Owen and Jonathan Edwards in the curtain-raising pro-am for the Seve Trophy at The Wynyard near Middlesbrough.
And afterwards Ballesteros, who feared last year that his career might be over because of an arthritic back, said: "I played some great shots out there and my game is getting progressively better and better."
Ballesteros' last appearance was as captain of the Continental Europe team in the Seve Trophy in Spain in November 2003.
He is not playing this week, but instead is acting as tournament host after handing over the captaincy to his former Ryder Cup partner Jose Maria Olazabal.
Asked what result would please him in Madrid on October 13-16 Ballesteros replied: "Winning - I think it is very possible."
The former world number one fell outside Europe's top 200 in 2001 by making only five cuts from 19 starts and dropped further down the rankings the following two seasons before quitting the scene altogether.
