The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Garcia keeps in touch despite windy conditions
South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout will take a four-shot lead into the third round of the Andalucia Masters today – but tournament host Sergio Garcia remains in contention for a fourth straight victory.
Bezuidenhout took advantage of the calmer morning conditions to add a 68 to his opening 66 to finish eight under par, with Garcia’s 72 leaving him on four under alongside fellow-Spaniards Alvaro Quiros and Adri Arnaus, and Welshman Bradley Dredge.
Garcia first won the Andalucia Masters in 2011 before the tournament dropped off the European Tour schedule for five years, and his victories in 2017 and 2018 mean the 39-year-old has recorded an incredible 13 top-10 finishes in 14 appearances at Valderrama.
The former Masters champion carded three birdies and four bogeys in his 72 and said: “I wouldn’t say it was a bad round. It was very difficult this afternoon.
“The greens were very firm and it got quite windy. I just didn’t really make any putts but I felt like I played well under the conditions and 72 was the most I could shoot.”
Scotland’s Scott Jamieson is tied for third place after his second-round 71 left him five shots behind Bezuidenhout.
Aberdeen’s David Law, whose 72 left him on two-under, and Grant Forrest were the only other Scots to survive the cut.
Heading home are Richie Ramsay, who missed out by a shot, Stephen Gallacher, Marc Warren, Liam Johnston and David Drysdale.
l The winner of this year’s Open at Royal Portrush will receive $1,935,000 (£1.5m), an increase of $45,000 (£35,500) from 2018. The total prize fund has risen to $10,750,000 (£8.48m).