Feud no bar to defence of title

Press, 7 February 1986, Page 32

Feud no bar to defence of title

NZPA-AP New Orleans

Despite his feud with the P.G.A., Severiano Ballesteros will defend his title in next month’s USF-and-G classic, the golfer said in a letter to the tournament director, Tommy Wulff. “I’d been calling (to Spain) for the last few weeks, and even called this morning,” said Wulff yesterday after receiving the letter. “All I kept getting was an answering machine. Then I got the letter.” Ballesteros has been at odds with the P.G.A. hierarchy for the last few months because the tour’s governing body revoked his American playing privileges for 1986. Last year, Ballesteros failed to appear In the minimum 15 tournaments necessary to retain his tour card.

The tour’s policy board ruled last spring that Ballesteros would be unable to play in the United States tour in 1986 with four exceptions: the three major tournaments, the Masters tournament, the U.S. Open and P.G.A. and the USF-and-G, since Ballesteros was the defending champion. “Because of the suspension, I always thought there was a chance he might boycott the entire American tour,” Wulff said.

Wulff also added another outstanding golfer to this year’s USF-and-G field over the week-end, Japan’s Isao Aoki.