Paul Lawrie in fine position as Castello Masters goes into weekend

• Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal at the 18th yesterday. Garcia missed the cut Picture: Getty

He shot a seven-under 64 to take a one-shot lead as local favourite Sergio Garcia missed the cut.

Heblom, a three-time European Tour winner, reached nine- under, one shot ahead of three players.

The Swede, the winner of the 2009 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, said he will have to play his best golf of the year if he is to stand any chance of holding on to his lead.

He currently lies a lowly 98th on the European money list and has missed the cut in six of his last 11 tournaments.

"This has not been a good season for me," he said after a round that included six pars and an eagle, but finished with a bogey on the 9th green, his last of the day at the Club de Campo del Mediterraneo.

"If I knew why, I would have tried to fix it, so it was quite unbelievable how well I played today. And it would be great if I could keep it going over the weekend.

"It was a stupid bogey (at the last]," said Hedblom, who is trying to become the second successive Swedish winner of the tournament after Michael Jonzon.

"I'd played the perfect round until then."

Garcia, meanwhile, missed the cut at the tournament he promotes in his home town and was left dejected after a two-over 73.

Garcia had returned to action Thursday after taking a two-month break from golf. After a round in which the Spaniard missed five close-range putts, Garcia said: "It's tough for me, especially missing the cut here.

"The way I putted I feel as though I am back to where I was when I left the game in the summer. It's very frustrating."

Seventeen-year-old Matteo Manassero shot a 66 to join Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who also had a 66, and Lawrie on eight under.

Fernandez-Castano carded a flawless five-under-par 66 in his second round to establish the early clubhouse lead.

The 30-year-old from Madrid picked up two shots on his outward nine holes and three more coming back to move on to eight under overall following his opening 68 yesterday.

Manassero, meanwhile, missed his first cut since turning professional in May at last weekend's Portugal Masters and was pleased with his response to that setback.

The schoolboy is two years younger than Garcia was when he exploded on the golf scene by winning twice and finishing third on the 1999 European money-list.

Only a bogey on the 17th prevented the young Italian sharing the lead as he reeled off seven birdies.

"My putting has been good this week, (in the past] it's been the weakest part of my game," said Manassero. Victory on Sunday would see him rocket up the money-list from 83rd.

"My card is guaranteed so I will have a full season next year and now my goal is to make the Dubai World Championship [next month]," he added.

"This was always going to be an important week for me after missing the cut last week. But the way I am playing now it could be my week.

"Being up with the leaders is going to be a different kind of pressure. But if I keep playing as well as I have been and putting well then I will be in with a chance."

Spain's Jose Maria Olazabal, playing only his second tournament of the year after suffering chronic injury, will play over the weekend after a 68 took him to 1 under.

133 P Hedblom (Sweden) 69 64

134 G Fernandez-Castano (Sp) 68 66

P Lawrie (Sco) 64 70

M Manassero (Italy) 68 66

135 R Gonzalez (Arg) 64 71

C Nilsson (Swe) 68 67

A Velasco (Sp) 71 64

G Bourdy (Fra) 67 68

136 Peter Lawrie (Ire) 72 64

I Garrido (Sp) 70 66

R Finch (Eng) 66 70

A Noren (Sweden) 68 68

G Boyd (Britain) 68 68

137 E Goya (Arg) 71 66

D Horsey (Eng) 65 72

R-Jan Derksen (Netherlands) 67 70

N Colsaerts (Bel) 70 67

M Hoey (Britain) 67 70

Phillip Price (Britain) 69 68

T Aiken (South Africa) 71 66

A Hansen (Den) 69 68

J Huldahl (Den) 67 70

C Suneson (Spain) 68 69

J-Baptiste Gonnet (France) 66 71

Martin Wiegele (Austria) 71 66