Big guns are Major threat
Sergio and Henrik close in for the kill
MAJOR champions Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson are just a shot off the lead at the BMW International Open in Munich.
Garcia is making his first appearance in Europe since his maiden Major triumph at the Masters in April while Stenson is seeking to defend the title he won by three shots in Cologne last season.
The Ryder Cup duo got to eight under par in windy conditions yesterday but that was not good enough to keep pace with Frenchman Joel Stalter and Swede Joakim Lagergren, who led the way after two rounds.
Lagergren had set the target in the morning with a 66 and rookie Stalter was the only one of the later starters who could catch him as he posted a 68.
Garcia had held a share of the lead at the turn after a hattrick of birdies from the seventh but dropped shots on the 14th and 17th stalled his momentum before he carded a closing birdie for a 70.
Open champ Stenson went one better with a 69 that contained birdies on the 11th, 18th, first and eighth and a single blemish on the 13th.
He said: “I’m not on top of my game by any means but I think it was a good kind of professional fighting display.
“We kept it pretty tidy, anyway and made a couple of birdies when we had the chances and didn’t drop too many. You don’t have to be ashamed of three under I guess around here.”
It was Lagergren and Stalter who stole the show, however, and they will go out last today as both men seek a first European Tour title.
Lagergren started from the 10th and made birdies on the 11th and 13th before surrendering a stroke on the next. A hat-trick of birdies from the 16th then moved him within a shot of the lead.
Another on the fourth meant he was the solo leader but when he gave the shot straight back on the next, there was a seven-way tie for the lead at seven under. An approach to four feet on the seventh then edged the 25-year-old back ahead before he took advantage of the par-five ninth.
He said: “It was great out there. I had a lot of fun. I’m playing really good, especially from tee-to-green. So I’m happy with that.
“It’s a little bit more windy, yes. I would say the greens are a bit smaller when it’s this windy but if you’re still hitting good shots, it’s scoreable.”
Stalter started on the 10th and birdies on the 13th, 15th and 16th saw him turn in 33 before another on the first had him in a share of the lead.
He then went bogey-birdiebogey from the third but hit the pin to get up and down on the sixth and once again share the lead.
Stalter said: “I played really well. Gave myself a lot of opportunities. Pretty tough out there with the wind. It was very gusty, so difficult to control the ball and it was getting firmer as well.
“I’ll keep doing the job here, making putts, and we’ll see where I stand on Sunday.”
England’s Richard Bland was also at eight under alongside Belgian Thomas Detry and Swede Rikard Karlberg.
Paul Lawrie is top Scot on four under after a 67. Scott Henry shot a 72 to lie one shot further back.