Sergio soars, stumbles, recovers

Bruced

Sergio Garcia, seeking a second successive win, has edged one shot closer to the lead at the AndalucĂ­a Masters.

Sergio Garcia, seeking a second successive win and with it a place in next week’s WGC-HSBC Champions, has edged one shot closer to the leader at the AndalucĂ­a Masters

This after his first 11 holes during which the Spanish star had burst out of his blocks like a 100 yard sprinter to card a birdie at the first only to stumble shortly afterwards and lose the shot he’d gained with a bogey at the short 6th hole.

At that stage he remained five shots behind the overnight leader Rich Ramsay, but when the late-starting Ramsay bogied the short, par 3 third, Garcia found himself just four shots off the pace in a two-way tie with Englishman Justin Rose.

Overnight runner-up Ross Fisher had not yet teed off at this stage, but his first-round 67 had him sitting in second place at 4-under with Frenchman Gregory Havret and Scot Stephen Gallcher a shot further back at 3-under, this duo having each only played one hole.