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MADRID - Spanish golf great Seve Ballesteros thanked doctors and staff for giving him the chance to play the "mulligan of my life" yesterday when he was released from the hospital more than two months after brain surgery to remove a malignant tumour.
The 51-year-old Spaniard would continue to be treated as an outpatient, said Madrid's La Paz hospital.
Ballesteros thanked not only the neurosurgeons but also the staff and all of those who had shown support since he entered the hospital in the Spanish capital.
"Thanks to them I will be able to play the mulligan of my life, which I expect to enjoy at my best," Ballesteros said on his website.
"There is a long recovery time ahead and I shall keep fighting with patience and determination against the brain tumour that was detected at the beginning of October."
Ballesteros, one of Spain's best known sports personalities, was admitted on October 6 after fainting at Madrid's international airport before boarding a flight to Germany.
Since then, he has undergone four separate operations, including a 6-hour procedure on October 24 to remove the brain tumour and reduce swelling around the brain.
That was his third operation in eight days.
Ballesteros was released from intensive care last week - the first time he had been out of danger since his initial operation on October 15.
"Occasionally I was a rebel patient and therefore I ask them to forgive me and thank everyone for all the cares received," Ballesteros said.
A five-time major champion, Ballesteros is known for spectacular shots and fearless play, but still called his current ordeal the "hardest challenge of my life".
"When you fight with faith and persistency you can overcome whichever drawback you come across. Our mind is stronger than we imagine," Ballesteros said.
"Just as I always did in my professional life, visualising success helps achieve one's targets, however impossible they seem." Ballesteros did not say whether he would continue his recuperation at a residence in Madrid, but said he was confident he could recover - both mentally and physically.
"I am a believer and will continue thinking positively to defeat the illness I suffer and encourage those who are going through something similar to do it with the same determination as myself," Ballesteros said.
Ballesteros won three British Opens and two Masters titles. He also recorded 50 career victories on the European Tour and is widely recognised as having transformed European golf.
He retired in 2007 because of a long history of back pain and has since concentrated on golf course design.
- AP
