Garcia on course for win in Madrid

Sergio Garcia may have just two more days to wait for his first win of the year.

The world number eight moved into the joint lead with little-known fellow Spaniard Manuel Quiros after 12 holes of his second round at the Madrid Masters.

Garcia, two behind after his opening eight-under-par 64, mixed two birdies with two bogeys in the first eight but then stepped up the pace around the turn.

The 29-year-old chipped close on the long 18th – he eagled it yesterday – hit his approach to five feet on the 441-yard second and then birdied the third as well.

Quiros, ranked 1,076th and not even a full member of the European Tour, had stunned himself with his first-round 62 and on his return parred the first eight holes before picking up his shot at the 18th.

One behind were Londoner Anthony Wall and another of Spain’s lesser lights, Jorge Campillo.

Wall was playing despite four trapped nerves in and around his left shoulder, having suffered the injury playing for Britain and Ireland at the Vivendi Trophy and missed last week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

Following up his 66, he was four under for 14 holes – while 734th-ranked Campillo, playing on a sponsor’s invitation, had five birdies in six holes from the fifth to be 10 under as well.

Shane Lowry, the 22-year-old who won the Irish Open as an amateur in May, made a brilliant charge into contention.

Only 64th at the start of the day, Lowry was up to joint fifth by grabbing eight birdies in 15 holes.

But Oliver Fisher, third after his opening 65, had dropped back to 10th. He was one over for the day with two to go.