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Sergio Garcia and Richard Bland tied for lead at BMW International Open

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Highlights from the third round of the BMW International Open in Munich, where Sergio Garcia and an inspired Richard Bland share the lead on 13 under.

Sergio Garcia will head into the final round of the BMW International Open tied for the lead with an inspired Richard Bland after both fired 67s on the third day in Munich.

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Garcia, making his first start in Europe as Masters champion, carded seven birdies and two bogeys to move to 13 under alongside Bland, who enjoyed a sparkling 20 minutes as he got up-and-down from water to make an unlikely birdie at the 11th before holing out from the fairway for eagle two holes later.

Sergio Garcia is tied for the lead heading into the final round
Image: Sergio Garcia is tied for the lead heading into the final round

The leading pair have a one-shot advantage over Joakim Lagergren, but Henrik Stenson is five strokes off the pace after the Open champion returned a frustrating level-par 72 to slip to eight under along with Tommy Fleetwood.

Garcia made a confident start with a birdie at the first, and he offset a bogey at the fourth with another birdie at six before picking up three shots in four holes around the turn.

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Sergio Garcia is delighted to be in a tie for the lead heading into the final round of the BMW International Open - his first event in Europe as Masters ch

The in-form Spaniard bogeyed the 14th for the second day running, but he hit back with further birdies at 15 and 17 although he was unable to take advantage of the par-five closing hole as he took over the clubhouse lead.

Garcia soon had company at the top after a remarkable round from Bland, who recovered from an early mistake at the second with three consecutive birdies from the fourth before entertaining the big crowd with arguably the up-and-down of the season at the 11th.

Richard Bland enjoyed an amazing 20 minutes as he got up and down from water and then holed out for eagle
Image: Richard Bland enjoyed an amazing 20 minutes as he got up and down from water and then holed out for eagle

The English veteran tugged his second to the par-five into the water, but he decided he could splash his partially-submerged ball back onto dry land and pulled the shot off to the delight of the gallery.

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Bland's bold move paid off as he drained the 20-foot putt for birdie, and he was celebrating again two holes later when his wedge approach to the 13th pitched to the right of the hole and spun sharply to the left to find the cup.

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Richard Bland lights up the third round of the BMW International Open as he gets up and down from water at the 11th before holing out for a spectacular eag

He missed the chance to claim the outright lead when he mis-read a birdie putt from inside 10 feet at the last, but he will be out in the final group with the Masters champion on Sunday, while Lagergren is alone in third after he birdied the final two holes to cap a solid 69.

Andres Romero is two strokes further adrift as he completed a 68 with a disappointing bogey-six at the last, while young Belgian star Thomas Detry (70) is alongside the Argentinian on 10 under.

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Stenson struggled to make much happen on the greens as he followed five opening pars with a birdie at the sixth, but he gave the shot back immediately before another birdie at the long ninth got him under the card at the turn.

But the Swede laboured home in 37, with eight pars and a lone bogey at the 16th, to drop back to eight under with Fleetwood, who was finishing with a flourish as he birdied 16 and 17 only to get into trouble at the last and sign off with a six.

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