Seve memorably captured three Open titles and two US Masters victories

Golf legend Seve Ballesteros has targeted the European captaincy at the 2010 Royal Trophy, his nephew revealed.

Ballesteros, 51, winner of five major titles, is recovering following several operations to remove a brain tumour.

Nephew Ivan Ballesteros, who drove him to hospital when he collapsed at Madrid airport in October, said the weeks that followed were like a "horrible dream".

But he added: "He's very positive, one of his goals is to be captain at the Royal Trophy, he's serious about it."

Ballesteros, who is undergoing chemotherapy as an outpatient in his native northern Spain, captained Europe to victory over Asia in the first two years of the Royal Trophy from 2006.

He has also captained Europe on three occasions, winning once, in the bi-annual tournament named in his honour, The Seve Trophy, against Great Britain and Ireland.

Arguably his most famous captaincy reign, however, came at the 1997 Ryder Cup at Valderrama, when Europe beat the United States 14�-13�.

606: DEBATE Sounds positive, especially as this has come from the family chillidipper

His nephew Ivan admitted the weeks after his uncle's condition was diagnosed and he was described as "gravely ill" were unbearable.

"We all thought it was a nightmare," he said. "The worst was the third operation, we really didn't know if he would make it. It was like heads or tails."

Before his illness worsened, Seve began a career on the Champions Tour, the senior tour in America, but played in only one event where he finished joint last, before announcing his retirement from golf whilst at the 2007 Open at Carnoustie.

His nephew said: "It's still too early to tell if he will play again but he's walking every day and he's determined to get better."

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