Sergio Garcia vaults clear with 65

Spain's Sergio Garcia repeated last year's flying start to the European Masters to break three shots clear of the field in Friday's second round.

Garcia, world number six and joint favourite at the Alpine course where he has a home, fired a six-under-par 65 after an opening 66 to move to 11-under 131, exactly the same start he made here in 2004.

Britain's Garry Houston, down in 126th place on the European money list, was Garcia's nearest challenger after carding a 69 for 134 in the first counting event for next year's Ryder Cup in Ireland.

Frenchman Jean Van de Velde (65), who lost the 1999 British Open in a playoff after leading by three shots on the 72nd tee at Carnoustie, was in third place on 135.

A closing 72 last year dropped Garcia down into a share of third place behind the winner, his friend Luke Donald of Britain, but the 25-year-old Spaniard is determined not to let matters slip this time.

"With the changes I've made, I feel my swing is just getting better and better and I don't see it going away," Garcia told a news conference.

Garcia drove the green on two of the par-fours, making an eagle on the fifth and narrowly missing another on the seventh, after a pair of crunching 330-yard drives.

"I've been trying for three years to get an eagle chance on the fifth and I finally did it," he said.

"For the last couple of years I've bounced the ball on the green but it's rolled in the bunker.

"This time I got the right line and left myself a seven footer up the hill and you can't ask for better.

"I didn't realise I'd started the same last year but the course is playing a lot tougher this year so I've played a lot better."

Despite his large lead, Garcia was again disappointed with his putting, even though he is insistent he is improving in that department.

He is relishing the time when he can surge up from the lower reaches of the tour's official Reuters putting statistics.

"I've been getting better and better over the last four or five months," said Garcia.

"If I'm 200th in the putts per round and can still manage to be in the top 10 on the money list and contesting in majors it gives me a lot of good thoughts about the rest of my game.

"If I start making some putts it will be a lot of fun."

Title holder Donald returned a one-over 72 for a total of 138.

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