Garcia closing in on major improvement

Sergio Garcia overcame early nerves and retained his two-stroke lead in the Open at Carnoustie today – with more than a little help from an off-form Tiger Woods.

But now comes the hard part for the 27-year-old Spaniard. Twelve times he has finished in the top 10 in majors, but not once has he achieved victory.

A chance to follow in the footsteps of his compatriots Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal has arrived again on the same course where eight years ago he had the worst two rounds of his professional career.

From the nightmare of his 30 over par total then – rounds of 89 and 83 left him dead last – the world number 13 today added a level par 71 to his sparkling opening 65.

That is a shot-a-hole improvement over the two days.

And with Woods’ bid for a third successive Claret Jug hitting trouble from the moment he hooked an iron out of bounds off the first tee – he eventually came off with a 74 to fall seven behind – Garcia’s six under par halfway total of 136 was always likely to keep him at the top of the leaderboard in the windy conditions.

South Korean KJ Choi, one place ahead of Garcia on the world rankings after two recent wins on the US Tour, looked for a while as if he might at least draw level with him after birdies at the 14th and 15th brought him one behind.

But he was almost in the Barry Burn with his closing drive and with a bogey five had to settle for a second successive 69.

Choi is still second on his own, one ahead of Garcia’s fellow countryman Miguel Angel Jimenez and Canadian Mike Weir, while Americans Jim Furyk and Boo Weekley - the one who did not know until last week who Jean Van de Velde was or that Paul Lawrie won in 1999 – are joint fifth.

Sadly for the Irish fans, Paul McGinley, second after his first day 67, managed only a 75 and dropped to 13th, while 18-year-old amateur Rory McIlroy failed to rediscover the magic of an initial 68 that had put him joint third.

Even with a 76 for two over, though, the Northern Ireland youngster is certain of the silver medal that goes to the leading amateur – and he did far better than a number of big names.

With double bogey sixes at the last world number two Phil Mickelson and McIlroy’s compatriot Darren Clarke both missed the cut on six over.

World number one Woods, joint eighth overnight on two under, double-bogeyed the first and after a birdie on the next dropped further shots on the fifth and eighth.

It could have been far worse for Woods. He was close to the out-of-bounds fence on the long sixth, scrambled a par at the ninth off a really poor approach into sand and then, for the second day running, had incredible good fortune on the 466-yard 10th.

In his opening 69 it came with a free drop away from a bad lie in the rough because of television cables that strangely could not be moved – even the Royal and Ancient Club’s Director of Rules could not answer why today – and on his return he might easily have hit his approach into the Barry Burn.

Instead his ball came down in the trees, narrowly missing two people blissfully unaware that they could have been hit, and with a clear path to the flag he salvaged another par.

Woods then birdied the long 14th, but finished with a bogey and said: “It was basically a lack of commitment on the first tee. It was such a poor shot – the commitment wasn’t there and I didn’t back off.

“I hit a lot of poor shots, but I hung in there. The course is playing difficult and with the bad weather forecast tomorrow you’ve just got to grind it out and try to stay away from big numbers.”

He has won all his 12 majors with at least a share of the lead with a round to go, but it will take something extraordinary for him to be in the position he loves so much by Saturday night.

Garcia, who played in the final group with Woods at Hoylake last year and shot 73 to the American’s 67, did not start too convincingly either.

He admitted to having the dreaded “shank” with a nine-iron to the first.

“I am not going to lie. I was a little bit nervous at the beginning,” he said. “But in 2003 at Sun City I shanked with the same club and managed to win the tournament. It’s not a bad thing.”

In 1999 he began the Open with a triple bogey seven from the same area that he was in after two shots, but this time one recovery shot rather than three did the job and it was a simply brilliant one, the ball flopping over the bunker and running down to within two feet of the flag.

Asked if he would be putting it in his private collection of miracles, Garcia smiled and said: “No – it was just a good, solid shot.”

He did bogey the 412-yard fourth, but up-and-down from a bunker at the 578-yard sixth repaired that and after dropping another shot on the 11th he came back again with another birdie on Carnoustie’s other par five, the 514-yard 14th.

Inevitably, his so far unsuccessful quest for a major came up in his interviews afterwards.

So did he get bored or frustrated or even insulted by the question: “When will you win the first major?”

“Never – first time I heard it,” he joked. “I’m always going to say the same thing. I’m trying. I’m trying to win as many majors as I can. That’s all I can do.

“Last year I managed to shoot 23 under in the last two majors and didn’t win. What can you do?” He was fifth and third, both times behind Woods.