MADRID - SPANISH golf great Seve Ballesteros has returned to his home in northern Spain to begin chemotherapy treatment following recent surgery on a brain tumour.

The five-time major winner, who was released from a Madrid hospital on Dec 9, travelled on Thursday to Predena.

'Today is Friday and I have started my first chemotherapy session,' Ballesteros said on his website. 'At this point, my thought is to rest and follow the neurosurgeons.'

He said he would provide more news on his condition in January and wished all his fans a 'Merry Christmas' and thanked them for their support.

Ballesteros was admitted to hospital on Oct 6 after fainting at Madrid's international airport before boarding a flight to Germany.

He underwent four separate operations, including a 6-hour procedure on Oct 24 to remove the brain tumour and reduce swelling around the brain.

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, in particular helping to revitalise the Ryder Cup.

He retired in 2007 because of a long history of back pain and has since concentrated on golf course design. -- AP