Garcia holds five shot lead

Sergio Garcia will take a commanding lead into the final round of the Spanish Open.

Garcia carded a third round 67 at El Cortijo Club de Campo for a 14-under-par total and a five-shot lead over Italian Emanuele Canonica.

Greg Owen is a shot further back in third, alongside local 17-year-old amateur Rafael Cabrera, who has already been dubbed the 'new Garcia' after his startling performance.

Cabrera, is still at school in Gran Canaria but matched Garcia's round of 67, and would have set a new course record if not for dropping shots at the final two holes.

Garcia led by one shot overnight and was still only one ahead after 10 holes as Canonica and Owen kept pace with the pre-tournament favourite.

But the world number five stamped his authority on the event over the closing stretch as his challengers faded, and will now be a red-hot favourite to claim his fourth European Tour title and first professional victory on home soil.

Garcia picked up three birdies in his first nine holes, but could not shake off the attentions of the chasing pack.

His overnight advantage had been briefly extended to two shots as Owen dropped a shot at the opening hole, but the gauntlet was quickly picked up by the third member of the final group, Italian Canonica.

Canonica matched Garcia's birdie on the par five second and reduced his deficit to just one shot with another on the fifth.

But Garcia, who has only dropped one shot so far this week when he drove out of bounds on the 12th yesterday, responded to the threat with a birdie of his own on the seventh to restore his two-shot cushion.

Canonica, battling to earn the tour card he lost last season and failed to regain at the qualifying school, refused to be overawed by the world number five however and hit back again on the shot par four eighth.

Measuring only 307-yards, the hole has seen many players drive the green and make an eagle two, and although Canonica and Owen could 'only' make birdie, they surprisingly made up ground on Garcia who had to settle for par.

Owen then eagled the par five ninth to make up for his earlier setback and move to 10-under-par, but Garcia and Canonica both birdied to move to 12 and 11-under respectively.

Garcia was at last able to get some breathing space as birdies at the 10th and 12th took him to 14 under, three clear of Canonica and Owen, the latter having also birdied the 10th.

Only Garcia's second bogey of the week on the 13th saw his lead cut, and although the Spaniard bounced back with a birdie on the next, Canonica matched it to keep the gap down to two shots.

The tough closing stretch, played predominantly into the gusty wind, was providing a severe test and the last six players were a combined eight-over-par for the 15th hole - Canonica's double-bogey six the most costly mistake - while Owen and Garcia both bogeyed.

But Garcia immediately bounced back with a birdie on the 16th, and with Canonica and Owen both taking six, suddenly he had a five-shot lead.