Sergio Garcia back in the thick of it at Australian Masters
The JBWere Masters in Australia this week gives one of golf's slumbering heavyweights the opportunity to earn a belated first victory of the season - but few imagined it would be Sergio Garcia challenging for the win Down Under.
While Tiger Woods is tied for 16th place, one-under for the tournament after shooting a second-round score of one-over, the Spaniard was in inspired form today. Having started with a disconcerting two-over-par on his opening round, Garcia shook off the wretched form of the previous 18 months to produce a fine second round at Melbourne's Victoria golf club.
Garcia carded the best round of the day, a six-under-par 65 comprised of six birdies in a flawless round, despite horrendous conditions that combined gusting winds with heavy rainfall.
That lifts the 30-year-old to fourth on the leaderboard, though he still trails three local players. Adam Bland leads on 10-under for the tournament after shooting four-under today, while Andre Stolz, also four-under today, is in second place on eight-under in total. And Daniel Gaunt is a stroke ahead of Garcia after shooting one-over today to lie five-under for the tournament.
Woods himself carded four bogeys and three birdies in an unexceptional round, and at nine strokes off the lead the 34-year-old's chances would seem to be fading. Not that the world No. 2 exactly disgraced himself, with several of yesterday's more impressive performers struggling to cope with today's conditions. Worst of the lot was one of the first round's co-leaders, Alistair Presnell, who slumped to 51st place after shooting nine-over-par 80.
One of the better known Australians, Robert Allenby, also had his own moment of high drama on the course. Although he managed to keep his own score down to one-over, at one point Allenby's wayward drive bounced off the skull of an unfortunate spectator, a middle-aged man who consequently had to be taken to hospital. As he was being stretchered off, the injured party did manage to crack a smile as Allenby gave him a golf ball by way of apology.
Unaccountably, that banjaxed gent appeared more upbeat than Garcia, who despite his fine play was failing to strike much of a buoyant note. Commenting on the admittedly foul conditions, he told the australianmasters.com.au site: "I don't want to say I hate the rain, but I quite dislike it.''
Garcia doesn't want to say he hates rain? Is he trying to spare the weather's feelings? Whatever, it's good to see the Ryder Cup veteran back in decent form - if he can take victory here, it would be the Spaniard's first since he won the HSBC Champions in 2008.
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