Seve Ballesteros makes first public appearance

Spanish golfing legend Seve Ballesteros has made his first public appearance since undergoing surgery late last year to remove a tumour from his brain. The 51-year-old turned up at El Sardinero stadium to watch his favourite team Racing Santander take on Almeria in La Liga.

More than 15,000 fans gave Ballesteros a standing ovation, moving him to tears. Despite Santander's 2-0 loss, the display of public affection will surely help the remarkable recovery of the man who is arguably Europe's finest-ever player.

In a 23-year career, Ballesteros won 91 professional titles, including five Majors (two US Opens and three Open Championships). His 50 wins on the European tour will stand as a record for some time (Tiger Woods is next on the list with 36 wins), and he appeared in five Ryder Cup-winning teams.

Balesteros's tumour was discovered last October after he collapsed at Madrid's Barajas Airport. He subsequently underwent four operations in a two-week period, during which the growth was removed and the swelling on his brain was reduced. Further operations took place to remove a haemorrhage and to drain fluid.

Although the golfer looked a shadow of his former self after five months of chemotherapy, with his head still bearing the scars of surgery, his sense of humour remains intact. He recently told the Times how he'd renamed himself Seve Mulligan: "I have the luck of getting a Mulligan which in golf is a second opportunity. I have got a Mulligan in life. I am alive and I can do many things." ·