Ballesteros leaves hospital

MADRID, Dec. 9 (UPI) -- Seve Ballesteros, who has undergone four brain operations for a brain tumor in recent weeks, was released Tuesday from La Paz Hospital in Spain.

Ballesteros, 51, had been under doctors' care since October when he collapsed in a Madrid airport. He was subsequently diagnosed as having a brain tumor and underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and a third to ease brain swelling related to the first procedure.

A Dec. 2 procedure inserted a valve to drain fluid from his head and repaired a bone defect caused by earlier surgeries.

La Paz Hospital officials, in a statement, said Ballesteros was discharged from the hospital Tuesday and would continue to be treated on an outpatient basis.

Ballesteros was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1999. He has five major titles -- three British Open championships and two wins at The Masters -- in his career. His 50 European Tour victories top the all-time list and he had 87 total tournament victories.