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Sergio surges four clear

Blistering front nine puts tournament host in control

Last updated: 26th October 2008

Garcia: five front-nine birdies

Castello Masters
Third Round leaders
GB and Ire unless stated
-16 S Garcia (Spn)
-12 S Dyson
-12 P Hedblom (Swe)
-12 S Kjeldsen (Den)
-12 D Lynn

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Sergio Garcia will take a four-shot lead into the final round of the Castello Masters after surging clear with a third-round 66.

The Spaniard - hosting the event on the course he grew up on - was out in five-under-par 31, but may be a little disappointed not to be further clear after matching three birdies with three bogeys on his back nine.

But with his joint halfway leaders and playing partners Richard Finch and Soren Kjeldsen both struggling, Garcia's round has surely set him on his way to his first European Tour title since 2005 at Crans-sur-Sierre.

Dane Kjeldsen had a one-under 70 and is in a group of four players tied for second on 12-under, while Englishman Finch is a shot further back after a 71.

Garcia birdied the second with a long putt and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the front nine as he picked up shots on four consecutive holes to reach the halfway point five under for the day.

One of those birdies came when he holed a tricky bunker shot at the eighth, typifying his superb touch around the greens, and his putting was equally impressive.

But the Players champion wobbled slightly after the turn, hitting a wedge out the back of the 10th green and then blasting his tee shot way left on 11 as he attempted to drive the length of the par-four hole.

Wasteful

He should have immediately made amends but he missed a five-foot putt for birdie at the par-three 12th, although Finch, at the time level with the Spaniard on 14 under, was even more wasteful, missing his second putt from inside a metre.

Garcia birdied 13 and 14, leaving Finch trailing in his wake, and he improved to 17 under with another birdie at the par-three 16th, having only just cleared the lake from the tee.

He bogeyed 17 but parred the last - narrowly missing a lengthy birdie putt - to complete another impressive score.

"It was another good day," he said. "I got on a great run from the fifth to the eighth and holing that bunker shot was a bonus.

"I had one bad shot on 10 which rattled me a little bit. It made me a bit nervous. Then I had two bad lies in the bunkers on 11 and couldn't save par.

"So the shot on the 12th was huge. Unfortunately I didn't make birdie but it was an easy par and put me back on track. I'm looking forward to the challenge tomorrow."

Gameplan

As for his gameplan Sunday, Garcia added: "I have a nice lead to I just need to go out there and keep playing aggressively and being myself and if I do that I should win.

"I've been really close a few times since 2005 so I'm looking forward to it and I'm having a good time."

Alvaro Quiros, who won the Portugal Masters last week, started the day just two shots off the leaders but endured a torrid round, signing for a 76 to fall way back on four under.

Englishman Sam Little strengthened his chances of automatically retaining his European Tour card for 2009 with a flawless five-under par 66 to leave him six under, while Scotsman Stephen Gallacher had the round of the day - a six-under-par 65 propelling him up the leaderboard to 11 under.