U.S. BECKONS SEVE : Spaniard, Who Now Calls Monte Carlo Home, May Play More on American Tour

Seve Ballesteros, a Spaniard who now lives in Monaco, may be playing a lot more golf tournaments in the United States next year.

Ballesteros, here for the U.S. Open starting today at at The Country Club, said he is seriously considering leaving behind his apartment in Monte Carlo to play most of the PGA Tour in 1989.

It may be a hard thing for him to do, Ballesteros admitted.

“I probably will get homesick,” he said. “Monte Carlo--it’s a nice place, I can tell you.”

But Ballesteros is driven by something other than comfortable living conditions. The winner of four major events, Ballesteros seems convinced that playing more PGA tournaments will help him win another.

“I can probably be a little better prepared for the majors over here,” Ballesteros said. “But this (schedule) has not been decided yet.”

Ballesteros said he will play the PGA Championship and one other event in the U.S., probably the World Series of Golf, for a total of seven American tournaments this year.

“Not much, huh?” he asked.

Ballesteros, who first raised the possibility of increasing his U.S. participation at the Spanish Open recently, promised a decision on next year’s schedule by November.

He indicated that if he does step up his U.S. schedule, he will begin playing in January, possibly beginning with the MONY Tournament of Champions, the first event of 1987.

“But this is not for sure, right?” Ballesteros said. “This is maybe.”

Ballesteros didn’t play in the U.S. this season until Feb. 21 at the Andy Williams Open in San Diego in the sixth week of the tour. He tied for 18th, then missed the cut at the Los Angeles Open and The Players Championship before tying for 11th at the Masters.

Last week, Ballesteros won the Manufacturers Hanover Westchester tournament, which was his first PGA Tour victory since the 1985 USF&G; at New Orleans.

So far this year, Ballesteros has played only 16 rounds of golf in the U.S., but has won $157,476.

Because Ballesteros has steadfastly refused to play the minimum of 15 tournaments required by the PGA, he is limited to five sponsors’ exemptions in U.S. tournaments, besides whatever other tournaments for which he qualifies.

Ballesteros said he began thinking of altering his 1989 U.S. tournament schedule about two months ago.

“I feel I maybe need a little change,” Ballesteros said. “But if I do decide to play more here, it doesn’t mean I will leave the European tour.”

Instead, Ballesteros said he would probably scale down his European events from 13 or 14 tournaments to 9.

The two-time winner of both the British Open and the Masters, Ballesteros has not won a major since the 1984 British Open at St. Andrews, although he came close to one last year. He lost in a three-way playoff at the Masters, which was won by Larry Mize on the second extra hole.

“Many people say Curtis Strange is the best in the world,” Ballesteros said. “But he hasn’t won a major yet. That tells you how difficult it is to win a major. It is very, very difficult because there are only four majors per year.”

Actually, winning any kind of tournament has been difficult for Ballesteros. He has one victory on the European tour this year, the Majorca Open, but he also missed the cut at Cannes, where he won his only tournament of 1987. It was the only time in the last six years that Ballesteros missed a cut in Europe.

“My game is not at its top,” Ballesteros said. “But I feel very comfortable. I feel quite relaxed compared to what I normally am.”