Castello Masters Golf: Garcia in pole position for long-awaited title

IT WAS a case of ‘Home Sweet Home’ yesterday as Sergio Garcia took a giant stride towards his first victory for almost three years.

Competing on the Mediterraneo course in Castellon he has known since he was a child, the 31-year-old Spaniard fired an eight-under-par 63 to charge into the lead at the Castello Masters.

It was only a stroke off his lowest round in either Europe or America and took him to 12 under par at halfway – two ahead of Swede Alex Noren, who was also round in 63 as he seeks a third win of the season.

As they were flying through the field, however, Britain’s new star Tom Lewis was flying home. Winner in Portugal on Sunday in only his third start as a professional, the 20-year-old from Welwyn Garden City quit before the second round because of a virus.

Club champion when he was only 12, Garcia was six behind Noren when he teed off again and went into overdrive after taking six on the long fourth. He eagled the 549-yard eighth and added six birdies to his opening one before saving par with a marvellous bunker shot at the difficult 17th. “Because I’m home, I’ve hit that shot so many times,” Garcia told Sky Sports. “I hit it perfectly.”

After falling from second in the world to outside the top 75, he is now back to 49th with top-12 finishes in the last three majors. “It’s getting there,” he added. “It’s not quite there yet. Sometimes I have a little bit of a hard time hitting a draw, but when my little fade works out I can keep it in play.”

Noren won the Wales Open in June and then a month later took his home Scandinavian Masters by seven, despite a closing 77. With overnight leader Ross McGowan following up his 64 with a 70, the 29-year-old set the early pace with eight birdies, something he did not expect before he teed off. “It didn’t feel that good on the range,” Noren said. “But I found my swing and holed a lot of putts. I played probably the best I’ve ever played on the front nine.”

McGowan is now joint third with Scot Gary Orr and Australian Marcus Fraser, while among those who missed the cut were Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and John Daly.

In Florida, meanwhile, former Open champion Justin Leonard and South Korean Bio Kim piled the pressure on Luke Donald when the world number one continued his bid to win the PGA Tour money list today.

Donald, needing a top-two finish to have a chance of overhauling American Webb Simpson, shared the first-round lead at the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic in Florida thanks to a six-under-par 66.

But by the time the Englishman resumed, Leonard was well on his way to a nine-under 63 over the easier Palm course and 21-year-old Kim was also 12 under after a 65 on the Magnolia lay-out. Donald, playing on the same course, parred the first six holes and had dropped to joint 12th, while playing partner Simpson birdied the long fourth and sixth to be alongside him.