Garcia's hopes fade

It did not need a single bogey for Sergio Garcia’s hopes of a second successive Spanish Open title to fade still further in Tenerife today.

Just by failing to birdie the first and third holes at Costa Adeje – both reachable par fives – the 23-year-old world number 11 knew he had left himself a real mountain to climb.

Garcia survived the halfway cut with only two strokes to spare at eight under par, the tournament as expected producing a European Tour-record low cut of six under.

And birdies and eagles were the order of the day again as the survivors tried to catch English pair Paul Casey and Miles Tunnicliff, who led the way at 15 under.

There were those who had their problems, however – and last week’s Portuguese Open winner Fredrik Jacobson was among them.

The Swede had four sixes on his card in a front nine 40 that sent him crashing to last place at two under. Bogeys came on the first and third and then double bogeys at the 369-yard sixth and 404-yard ninth.

Spaniard Francisco Cea, on the other hand, had five birdies in seven holes from the third to turn in 32 and 10 under, the same as German Marcel Siem. And Sheffield’s Mark Roe was on the same mark after a birdie at the first and eagle on the 567-yard third.

Casey, seeking his second win of the season, and Marbella-based Tunnicliff were two ahead of Jose Maria Olazabal, countryman Santiago Luna, Dubliner Peter Lawrie and Essex’s Simon Khan.