Ballesteros picked up six birdies with just the two dropped shots to move to eight under par 136 to lie alongside Italy’s Emanuele Canonica and Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina.

It was the best start to a full European Tour event for the 23 year old in the third of seven invitations he is eligible for this season.

“You ask me can I win, and I have to say ‘yes’. I’m looking forward to a good weekend but, as I found out two weeks ago in Portugal, golf doesn’t always give you what you want,” said Ballesteros, who finished tied 72nd in the Algarve Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos.

“I can’t play more than seven invitations and I don’t know whether I can get my card in that time, but I’m going to try.”

Ballesteros said he has sharpened his putting and benefited from help from his uncle Seve, who he used to caddie for. “I have the privilege of having Seve as my uncle and I have learned things from him but my future has nothing to do with Seve. I am a different person, he has been the best player in the world. I am apart from that. I am Raul Ballesteros, professional, who just wants to play well every week.”

Monasterio is playing his first full season on The European Tour at the age of 40 after graduating from the Qualifying School Finals last November having narrowly missed out on his card through the Challenge Tour Rankings where he finished 16th.

His round of 67, five under par, included a run of six threes and eight birdies to take him to nine under par 135.

Gonzalez, winner of the 2001 Omega European Masters and the Telefonica Open de Madrid last year, posted a six under par 66 in his bid for a second title on Spanish soil, while Canonica carded a three under par 69 to match his eight under par total of 136. 


Courtesy of www.europeantour.com