Golf: Ballesteros sets the ball rolling again

TWELVE months ago Seve Ballesteros defeated Ronan Rafferty in a play-off to win the Desert Classic here. Perhaps it was a mirage for the other 11 months were purgatory. His fall from grace, sudden and inexplicable, left the stage to Nick Faldo and the difference between them was highlighted at the Johnnie Walker World Championship in Jamaica last month where Faldo finished first, Ballesteros last.

Yesterday as Faldo toiled on the practice putting green, Ballesteros, en route from the ninth to the 10th hole, walked past him, a large gallery following in his wake. It grew larger as the news spread around the Emirates course: Ballesteros was back on the leader board.

He had compiled six birdies in 16 holes when even he became excited. Going for another birdie at the 17th he charged his putt four feet past and missed the return. 'I was a bit too aggressive,' Ballesteros said, 'but I was very confident. I had made a lot of good putts.' It was his first bogey of the day and he had another at the 18th. Again he took three putts, missing the second from two feet.

It was a disappointing end to what had been one of his best days since . . . well, since winning here last year. According to Ballesteros the sands of time have obliterated 1992. 'I don't remember what happened last year,' he said. 'I am still champion. I have golden moments left.'

He shot 68 to stand at five under par for the championship, four strokes adrift of the Irishmen, Paul McGinley and Rafferty, and the South African, Wayne Westner, at the half-way stage. 'It could have been a fantastic round,' Ballesteros said. 'It could have been a 64. It was still a good round and I'm in a good position.'

In the year that does not exist in Ballesteros's mind, he was physically and mentally beaten. Yesterday he was loooking and sounding like the player who won the Order of Merit in 1991. Just in case anybody didn't get the message he hammered the point home. 'I feel stronger and that means I can work harder. I have more determination. I am not prepared to have that kind of year again. When someone's not playing well it's very easy to say that he's finished. It hurts me to talk all the time about what's wrong. I am not as good as I was five or six years ago in the way of consistency but I am still champion. I am not looking at myself as someone from the pack. I am not prepared for negative things. I am going to win again. I'm not saying this week but this year for sure. I'm very positive about that. I'm not going down any more, I'm going up.'

Ballesteros is two strokes in front of Faldo who also had a tame finish when he had three putts at the 18th for a six in a round of 71. 'I played very well and putted very badly,' Faldo said. 'I hit the ball in all the right spots and had a lot of chances.' The spot that ultimately counts is in the middle of the hole and Faldo repeatedly left his putts short. When he went to practise the results left him scratching his head.

Westner, who went to the turn in 30 with five birdies in seven holes, believes he would have held the outright lead but for twice being warned about slow play. He took three putts at the 15th and 16th holes. 'I lost my concentration,' he said. 'The most dangerous thing I can do on a golf course is to think.'

Rafferty, who had a flawless 66, made a lot of money early last season but fell away to finish 26th in the Order of Merit. 'One minute you're sailing along, the next you're spiralling downwards,' he said. His 66 suggests he is back on an even keel and a measure of how good that score is over this course is that the half-way cut was made at 145, one over par. Casualties included the Ryder Cup players, Sam Torrance, Christy O'Connor Jnr, David Feherty and the captain, Bernard Gallacher.

One stroke off the pace is the young South African, Retief Goosen. Goosen, who won at the European Tour qualifying school last November (a hallmark of class and guts), has Faldo as his role model. 'I began watching him about four years ago,' Goosen said. 'The main thing about him is that he's always in control of his game.' A stroke behind Goosen is Mark Davis, of Essex, who produced the round of the day. His 65 included an extraordinary inward nine of 30 in which he had seven birdies.

One man who had a barren trek was Prince Kais al Said. He caddied for Bill Longmuir, who missed the cut, thus depriving the Prince, a member of the ruling family of Oman, of a decent pay-day.

DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC (Emirates Club, Dubai) Leading second-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 135 R Rafferty 69 66; P McGinley 65 70; W Westner (SA) 69 66. 136 R Goosen (SA) 70 66. 137 M Davis 72 65. 138 G Ralph 69 69. 139 R Claydon 66 73; P Way 70 69; A Forsbrand (Swe) 73 66; S Struver (Ger) 69 70; S Ballesteros (Sp) 71 68; B Lane 70 69; R Chapman 69 70. 140 J Haeggman (Swe) 69 71. 141 S Ames (Trin) 71 70; H-P Thuel (Ger) 69 72; J Spence 70 71; N Faldo 70 71; B Marchbank 72 69; R Karlsson (Swe) 71 70; P Mitchell 71 70. 142 S Richardson 70 72; C Rocca (It) 73 69; P Broadhurst 72 70; P Hall 69 73; M Lanner (Swe) 73 69; J Payne 69 73; M Roe 72 70; P Baker 70 72; P Affleck 69 73. 143 M Poxon 72 71; G Evans 72 71; C Montgomerie 73 70; M A Jimenez (Sp) 75 68; R Willison 73 70; M Besanceney (Fr) 74 69; M James 73 70; M McLean 72 71; R Alvarez (Arg) 72 71; E Els (SA) 71 72; D Gilford 71 72; S Grappasonni (It) 74 69; I Aoki (Japan) 76 67; S Tinning (Den) 71 72.