The sponsors of the match introduced in 2000 to mark the contribution Seve Ballesteros made to European golf have suggested a name change following the Spanish star's death earlier this month.

The suggestion to the European Tour is simply to change the title of September's event between Continental Europe and a Britain and Ireland side from the "Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros" to the "Vivendi Seve Trophy".

It was purely as the Seve Trophy that the first five matches in the series were played, including in 2005 when it was staged at Wynyard Golf Club.

A statement said: "Vivendi today announced that Jean Rene Fourtou, chairman of the Vivendi Supervisory Board, has suggested to the PGA European Tour that the ‘Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros' be renamed to 'The Vivendi Seve Trophy', in memory of Severiano Ballesteros, who really knew, among other things, how to develop and support the spirit of match play and golf as an all-round game.

"During the day's press conference Scott Kelly, marketing director of the PGA European Tour, emotionally welcomed the change on behalf of the PGA European Tour."

n Ashington's Kenneth Ferrie and Scotland's Scott Drummond are among the players trying to re-ignite their European Tour careers at the Madeira Islands Open this week.

The first prize of almost £704,000 at the Volvo Match Play Championship in Spain is more than the total purse in Porto Santo.

But for the winner on Sunday a one-year Tour exemption will count as much as the £102,657 champion's cheque.

Ferrie's last victory was the European Open in 2005 - the year before he led the US Open with Phil Mickelson with a round to go.

Drummond, meanwhile, captured the circuit's flagship PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2004, earning almost £550,000 in the process, but lost his Tour card last season and is currently just outside the world's top 750.