R1 LEADERBOARD GB&Ire unless stated -8 M Roe, R Karlsson (Swe) -7 S Jaquelin (Fra), D Clarke -5 C Cevaer (Fra), JF Lima (Por), A Forsyth, G Storm, B Rumford (Aus) Stats preview: Madrid Open

The Spaniard, who has recovered from back and knee problems, mixed two double-bogeys with five dropped shots and three birdies at the Club de Campo.

Ballesteros is 14 shots adrift of England's Mark Roe and Sweden's Robert Karlsson who lead after 63s.

Ulsterman Darren Clarke shot a 64 while Scotland's Colin Montgomerie could only manage a one-over par 72.

The 48-year-old Ballesteros, who has won five majors, went out in 41, but upped his game to play the last nine in par.

I played well on the back nine and started feeling like I did before I played Seve Ballesteros

His last tournament start was the 2003 Seve Trophy and his last win was in the 1995 Spanish Open at this course.

Ballesteros said: "The problem was the first three holes. I didn't feel comfortable and was a bit tense.

"That made the rest of the day difficult, but I played well on the back nine and started feeling like I did before I played."

Ballesteros' opening tee shot sailed high and right and he bagged a bogey at the first and a double-bogey at two.

He double-bogeyed the 375-yard 15th, his sixth, and dropped another shot on the next.

The first birdie arrived at the short 17th, but he followed that with bogey at 18 where he needed two attempts to get out of a greenside bunker.

There was a glimpse of the old Ballesteros on the first, his 10th, when he played a five wood on his knees and came up just short of the green.

Meanwhile, Roe, 42, equalled the lowest round of his career, but his score did not match the course record because players were allowed to place the ball on the wet fairways.