Golf: Ballesteros tables his Olympic bid

Golf

Seve Ballesteros, who resumes his career in Morocco tomorrow after a break of nearly six months, is pushing for golf to become an Olympic sport again.

Ballesteros has spoken to the International Olympic Committee president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, a fellow Spaniard, arguing for the sport to be included in the Sydney Games in 2000. It last appeared in 1904.

"I told him that including golf in the Olympics was not only of interest to golf, but also to the IOC," he said. "It could be good business, and the Eastern bloc countries would start to be interested in golf. It would boil down to us having to play an extra week and that's it. It would be just another tournament."

There had been talk of golf returning to the Games this summer - it might even have been played at Augusta, home of the Masters - but the IOC ruled against it in January 1993.

n The Northumberland Challenge - the first new European tour event in England for eight years - is to be held at Slaley Hall from 13 to 16 June.