Garcia recovers to keep advantage
 |  Garcia holds a one-stroke lead after 36 holes of the Volvo Masters |
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VALDERRAMA, Spain -- Overnight leader Sergio Garcia came back from a disastrous start to his second round of the Volvo Masters to keep himself atop the leaderboard.
His two-under 69 put him six-under for the championship and one ahead of Alaistair Forsyth, two clear of Ian Poulter and three in front of Angel Cabrera and France's Christian Cevaer.
Garcia began the day four-under but after three holes had slipped back to one-under thanks to a bogey and a double.
But the 24-year-old managed to steady himself and played a brilliant inward nine, grabbing five birdies to finish with a two-under 69.
His playing partner Jose Manuel Lara, who had shared the first round lead with him had a nightmare round, dropping off the leaderboard as he carded an eight over 79.
For Poulter, he is a man on a mission to salvage what he claims has been a bad season for him.
"I haven't won. I won twice last year. I'm 22nd in the Order of Merit and I was fifth last year. I need to prove to myself this week that I can go out and win the tournament and keep my record going.
"I don't want to let up and not win every year. That's what I've come here for this week and that's what I want to go away with.
"If I do win it will move me into the Top 10. I'm disappointed so far this year, apart from the Ryder Cup week, which was awesome."
Poulter is hoping that his putter stays hot for the weekend. "I one putted 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18. That was nice," he said.
It meant that Poulter played his second round bogey free - the only player in the 54-man field to manage that - carding a four-under 67.
The round of the day went to Argentina's Angel Cabrera who played himself back into contention with a five-under 66.
Thursday night, Cabrera had to cancel a diner appointment after he suddenly fell ill. "It was a like a bit of a flu symptom but I took some medicines and I feel okay today," he explained.
Like Poulter, it was the putter that shot Cabrera up the leaderboard.
"I changed my putter. That has helped a lot. I have more confidence. That has helped get lower scores," he said.
Valderrama's infamous 17th hole collected a new victim during the second round. Ulsterman Darren Clarke was lying three-under for the championship, five-under for the day, and holding a share of the lead when he stood on the tee of the par five.
By the time he walked off the green Clarke had vanished off the leaderboard after carding a six-over 11 for the hole.
Three times Clarke put the ball in the water guarding the front of the heavily sloping green. "That just sums up my season," said Clarke.
Although a spectator's mobile phone went off twice as Clarke attempted to get his ball to stay on the green he refused to blame the distraction.
"The phone was not a factor," he snapped.
It was a bitter blow for Clarke who had spent Thursday evening on the practice ground trying to get his game back in shape after opening with a two-over par 73 on Thursday when he finished with two bogeys.
An outward two-under on Friday got him back to level par and then three birdies on the first five holes coming home had him three-under and atop the leaderboard.
The 17th was redesigned by Seve Ballesteros and has been dogged by controversy ever since.
Tiger Woods came to grief there several years ago when he too failed to keep his ball on the slick green that sweeps down to the pond, sinking his chances of winning the Volvo Masters.
Woods made it clear afterwards what he thought of the hole.
Clarke, asked on Friday what he thought of the hole, declined to answer. "I'd better keep my opinion to myself," he said.
