Golf Nedbank Challenge: Sergio Garcia may have underachieved in recent years but there is no doubt he possesses the game to compete with the very best. He showed that at Sun City yesterday with a superb 66 - the best round of the day - to move to within one shot of the lead at the halfway stage of the Nedbank Challenge.
The Spaniard was seen partying at the resort's Valley of the Waves the night before, but it had no detrimental effect on his game as he sought to repeat his win here in 2001.
To do that, however, he must hold off the challenge of Americans Kenny Perry and Jerry Kelly.
The pair, who were so successful as a fourball pairing in the Presidents Cup last weekend, dominated the leaderboard at the end of day two with Perry keeping up his consistency with a 68 to add to Thursday's 65 which allowed him to take the lead at 11 under, just one shot ahead of Kelly and Garcia.
The trio hold a three-shot lead from a group of players which includes former European Tour Order of Merit winner Retief Goosen, who shot a 67 to put him in touch with the leaderboard.
It remains to be seen, however, if Goosen, a crowd favourite but a perennial underperformer here, can be consistent enough to give a hometown victory.
Darren Clarke started off well, but slipped back late in the day to end on a disappointing 71, three behind the leaders.
But while his putting was not always up to standard, his approach shots showed that there is a lot of fight left in Clarke and he still has a chance this weekend.
Padraig Harrington improved on his opening round with a two-under-par 70 for a 142 total - nine shots off the pace.
But Australians Stuart Appleby, Adam Scott and Robert Allenby found the going especially tough as they negated their first-round scores with efforts of 75, 74 and 78 respectively to drop down the leaderboard.
Yet the focus of worry around the course was still Ernie Els, who looked far from the defending champion in struggling to a lacklustre 75.
He sits at three over, alone at the bottom of the leaderboard and a long way from retaining his coveted title.
Garcia put his improvement down to a new swing which has seen him pummel the ball down the fairway. And yesterday it was more apparent than normal, as he outdrove playing partner Nick Price by some 20 yards at a time.
"I feel I can play a bit more consistently but it has given me a lot more confidence and that has been a big thing. My control of the ball is just right, and the flight is slightly higher, but I am hitting it a lot further," he said.
He started his round in earnest with a birdie on the second, but then pulled his drive left on the third to land in the bush and struggled out for what he called "a very good bogey five, in the circumstances".
Another birdie followed at the seventh as his round gained momentum.
"I was a bit lucky on the seventh as the ball bounced short of the green and ran on and down towards the hole," Garcia added.
But it was his eagle on 10 that shot him up the leaderboard. A great drive was followed by a monster six-iron of 182 yards which landed within 15 feet of the pin and he holed out.
The Spaniard was one of a few golfers to benefit from the two-hour break in the middle of the afternoon as a violent and loud thunderstorm broke overhead.
When play resumed, he birdied 15 and 16 to give him something to smile about when he came in.
(USA unless stated, par 72)
133 - Kenny Perry 65 68
134 - Sergio Garcia (Spa) 68 66, Jerry Kelly 67 67
137 - Retief Goosen (Rsa) 70 67, Darren Clarke (Irl) 66 71, Vijay Singh (Fij) 65 72, Chris Dimarco 66 71
139 - Tim Clark (Rsa) 68 71
140 - Charles Howell III 73 67, Stephen Leaney (Aus) 68 72, Adam Scott (Aus) 66 74
142 - Fred Funk 71 71, Jay Haas 70 72, Stuart Appelby (Aus) 67 75, Padraig Harrington (Irl) 72 70
144 - Nick Price (Zim) 69 75, Robert Allenby (Aus) 66 78
147 - Ernie Els (RSA) 72 75
