CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, 8 May 2005 — Spain’s Sergio Garcia mastered perplexing windy conditions to card a second round one-under-par 71 and retain his two-shot advantage at the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina on Friday.
The first-round leader mixed three birdies with a pair of bogeys at the Quail Hollow Golf Club to move to seven-under 137 through 36 holes, a couple of shots ahead of three players, including world number two Vijay Singh.
Back in action for the first time since winning the US Masters last month, Tiger Woods mixed five birdies with five bogeys for a level par round that left him five shots off the lead on two-under 142.
The 25-year-old Garcia produced a steady and patient performance, particularly during a bogey-free back nine, in gusting winds that had many players scratching their heads.
Singh made a flawless start to his round and was four under through 12 holes before faltering slightly over the closing stretch, mixing a pair of bogeys with a birdie for a three-under-par 69.
At the halfway stage, the Fijian is in a tie for second with Americans D.J. Trahan and defending champion Joey Sindelar on five-under 139.
Sweden’s Richard S. Johnson and Americans Brett Quigley and Scott Verplank are a shot further back at four-under 140.
Chasing a fourth win of the season, world No. 1 Woods rued some missed chances.
Also playing for the first time since Augusta, Phil Mickelson has yet to find his best form, stumbling to a double-bogey, bogey finish for a one-over 73 to sit seven shots adrift on 144.
Chris DiMarco, who lost to Woods in a playoff at the Masters and suffered a final round meltdown in New Orleans last week, vaulted into contention with the joint-best round of the day, a five-under 67, to join four others at three-under 141.
Charging Webster Moves One Clear in Italy
In Milan, Britain’s Steve Webster, who has never won a European Tour title despite several close calls, charged into a one-shot lead in the Italian Open third round yesterday.
Webster, second five times in a career that began in 1996, carded a six-under-par 66 at Castello di Tolcinasco to finish at 14-underr 202, a stroke better than overnight leader and compatriot Richard Finch.
Rookie Finch showed few signs of nerves over his unprecedented tenure of a European Tour leaderboard to return a 71, flagging only at the end of his round to slip back into second place.
The leaderboard is dominated by British players, with Simon Khan (68) and Bradley Dredge (71) a further stroke behind in a tie for third and the European Tour’s tournament committee chairman Jamie Spence, who lost his card last year, in group at 11 under.
Webster built his lead on seven birdies in nine holes from the seventh. He reduced his lead by twice over-hitting on his way to making two bogeys coming home and, in Friday’s second round, misjudged his strength to hit on to a green when players were still putting out there. He had to make full apologies.
