Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros, who is still recovering from brain surgery in 2008, will not take part in the British Open on the advice of his doctors, he said on his website.Doctors who examined him in Madrid on Wednesday said his condition was satisfactory but advised him to avoid "any undue stress or potentially emotional situations.
"It is for this reason that they have advised him against travelling to St Andrews" in Scotland to take part in the British Open next month.
"I very much wanted to be at The British Open in St Andrews next month to personally thank all the golf fans and friends who have given me their support," Ballesteros was quoted as saying on the site, www.seveballesteros.com.
"I am aware that there might be people who have been preparing their trip to encourage and cheer me up. Hence, I do not want to disappoint anyone at the last minute and after listening to the doctors' advice I have taken the difficult decision not to travel to St Andrews."
Ballesteros, 53, underwent four operations in 2008 to remove a brain tumour, before undergoing chemotherapy sessions.
In July last year, he said he wanted to compete again in the British Open in 2010, taking as an example the American cyclist Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven times after surviving testicular cancer.
Regarded as one of golf's all-time greats, Ballesteros won five majors during his stellar career.
He won the British Open in 1979, 1984 and 1988 and became the first European to win the Augusta Masters in 1980, an achievement he repeated in 1983.
Ballesteros was also an influential figure in the Ryder Cup, winning 20 points from 37 matches and captaining Europe to victory over the United States at Valderrama in 1997.
-ATP
