Further birdies on the first, second, fourth, sixth and seventh saw Garcia home in 31 to finish eight under par, one shot ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Victor Dubuisson and BMW PGA Championship winner Byeong Hun An.
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The $7 million flagship European Tour event at Lake Malaren has 15 of the top 16 ranked players in Europe taking part and is the final stop before the season-ending DP Tour Championship in Dubai.
He has four top-10 finishes since September, including a runner-up finish at the Hong Kong Open last month, when he was beaten by Justin Rose by one stroke.
Garcia and Thongchai Jaidee enter Saturday’s third round tied for second at 9-under.
“At the weekend, I think it will be very important for me”, Thongchai told AFP.
“Last week, in my coach’s studio in Sweden, I was putting indoors and was like I’m not putting good, so I just look in my coach’s wife’s bag, ” he said.
“I was very disappointed this morning when I wake up because I watch what happened in France”, he said.
National Laguna-based Barr, who carded six birdies Thursday, managed only two on Friday.
Garcia had maintained his lead for much of the second day following three birdies on the front nine, but a bogey on the 12th holed followed by a double bogey seven on the 13th, where his second shot found the water hazard, handed the initiative to Bjerregaard.
Rose and Grace were five under with three holes to play, with Oosthuizen, Willett and Lowry three under, two under and level par respectively with four holes remaining. “I felt like there was going to be a surge coming and I didn’t know it would be seven in a row, but I’m pleased it was”.
Broberg hit his tee shot in the playoff straight down the fairway for an easy approach to the pin, while Reed landed in the rough off the tee and dropped his second shot in the bunker.
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Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlory, the current Race to Dubai leader, is not playing in Shanghai this week which gives the chasing pack an opportunity to close in on the world number three before next week’s finale in the UAE. “It was the kind of round that you’re looking for”. I feel so good on the greens.
