Golf: Garcia in line for Spanish celebration

World number five Sergio Garcia is in pole position to claim his first professional title on home soil in the Canarias Open de Espana.

Garcia carded a second-round 68 for a nine-under-par halfway total of 135 in Gran Canaria and a one-shot lead over England’s Greg Owen.

Italian Emanuele Canonica was a shot further back in third place as he battles to regain his European Tour card, with Kent’s Warren Bennett, Gran Canaria native Carl Suneson and Germany’s Marcel Siem another stroke adrift on six under.

Garcia had compiled a flawless five-under-par 67 yesterday to lie just one shot off the first-round pace, hitting all 18 greens in regulation.

There was to be no repeat of such accuracy in the early stages on Friday as he initially struggled to get to grips with the quirky El Cortijo Club de Campo course.

Starting on the 10th, the 22-year-old’s drive found heavy rough on the edge of a fairway bunker and he was unable to reach the green with his third, eventually needing to hole a testing six-foot putt to save par.

The 11th was more straightforward and a 10-foot birdie putt went just wide, but the 12th was to prove decidedly adventurous and ultimately crucial.

Garcia’s drive was fully 20 yards out of bounds - presenting one delighted local teenager with a treasured souvenir - but he did well to salvage a bogey after smashing his second ball to within 25 yards of the green on the 329-yard par four and pitching to three feet.

‘‘I hit a stupid shot on the 12th with the driver, I don’t really know what I was thinking about,’’ said Garcia.

‘‘I wanted to hit a nice draw but held onto it and it went out of bounds, but then I hit a great drive and nice chip and made a nice putt.

‘‘It was one of those holes when making bogey actually gets you going. Although it was a bogey it didn’t feel like it and that helped me make some birdies after that.’’

Birdies at the 14th and 16th took him to the turn in 35, and three more followed coming home for a second-round 68 and nine-under-par halfway total of 135.

‘‘I’m happy because I played well overall but not too happy with the end of my round,’’ he said.

‘‘I didn’t manage to birdie the eighth or ninth which is a pity because I hit pretty good drives and they are pretty easy holes.

‘‘Unfortunately it has happened that way both days but the course is playing harder today.’’

Garcia has won countless amateur titles in Spain but his three European Tour successes so far have come in Ireland, Germany and France.

‘‘It would be great to win in Spain but there are still two days to go,’’ he added.

‘‘More than anything it feels extra good because I am in my home country, and second of all because over the last couple of months I have felt I should have won at least one tournament of the last five I have played.

‘‘Unfortunately I didn’t but that would be a real boost to my confidence now if I did.’’

Owen, who added a 69 to his opening 67, finished third in his last event in Portugal three weeks ago, missing out on a play-off by one shot in an event reduced to 36 holes due to bad weather, and is full of confidence.

‘‘I played splendidly in Portugal and felt really confident going into a final round if we’d had one but I can’t complain with third,’’ said the 30-year-old, who shot to fame by leading the Open championship at one stage at Royal Lytham last year, where he also had an albatross on the 11th hole in the third round.

‘‘If I keep playing this way then they’re going to have to beat me because I’m hitting it dead solid.

‘‘We’ll have to see what Garcia has got. He’s a great player, a proven winner, but every dog has its day and hopefully this week is going to be my week.

‘‘He’s going to have to beat me, I’m not going to go away. I’ve been learning, it’s taken a while, but it is about time I started showing where I belong I think.

‘There are going to be a few people out there tomorrow but I’ve played in the Open and led the Open, I’ve had my experience, done my learning curve and now I think I’m on the way up.

‘‘I’ve just got to keep playing as well as I have been and hope the putts keep going in. I’m giving myself chances and made 12 birdies in two rounds so the odd dropped shots do not matter so much.’’