European Tour: Of all the things Ryder Cup captain Ian Woosnam does not want to see or hear next year, one is certainly Sergio Garcia coming up to him and saying: "Don't pick me." But Europe's top player in the world today painted a picture of him doing precisely that.

Amazingly, Garcia made his comments after storming into a three-shot halfway lead over Welshman Garry Houston at the first qualifying event, the Omega European Masters in Switzerland.

Playing partner Woosnam was suitably impressed by the Spaniard's rounds of 66 and 65 for an 11-under-par total, but Garcia stated: "It doesn't mean anything. You have to play well all year long and you have to get to the Ryder Cup playing well.

"If I don't qualify and don't feel I am playing well I will tell Woosie if he is thinking about picking me that I think he could get somebody else better than me. I don't see it going that way and with the changes I've made I feel my swing is just getting better and better, but it's an option. I am really confident I will make the team and I've just got to believe in myself. If I do that Woosie is not even going to have to pick me."

The one worrying part of Garcia's game at the moment is his putting. He is ranked 205th out of 206 on the US Tour this season, but the fact that he is ninth on the money list illustrates how well everything else is working.

Not only was Woosnam delighted to see an improvement on the greens, but some other words from the world number six will please him too. Garcia plays more in America than Europe these days, but commented that he would change his plans if he needed to.

"I sure would. No matter who you are and what you have done you might not get picked and, secondly, I would rather he uses one of the spots for someone else rather than me. It would make me happier and probably him too."

Driving the green on the 341-yard fifth and holing the seven-foot eagle putt was the highlight of his round yesterday.

But Woosnam, whom he now calls "Cappy", stated: "He's just a great player. He gives himself so many opportunities and that's fantastic for match play. He's long, he hits his irons well and he chips well. I've been watching his putting on television and he looked to be struggling a bit, but his stroke looked a lot better here."

A year ago Garcia opened the same tournament in the exact same fashion. He was only one ahead then, though, and finished joint third, six strokes behind cup partner Luke Donald.

Houston, at 433rd in the world 427 places below Garcia, has never finished higher than fourth in a tour event, but he did best of the three first day leaders, adding a 69 to his 65. Ireland's Peter Lawrie lies six shots off the leader and is well placed for a good finish on five under.

Crans-sur-Sierre: Scores

(Irish in bold, British unless stated, par 71)

131 - S Garcia (Spa) 66 65. 134 - G Houston 65 69. 135 - J Van de Velde (Fra) 70 65. 136 - P Broadhurst 67 69, P Fulke (Swe) 69 67, M Erlandsson (Swe) 72 64, G Storm 71 65. 137 - Peter Lawrie 68 69, D Carter 65 72, A Hansen (Den) 67 70, L Westerberg (Swe) 67 70. 138 - D Fichardt (Rsa) 68 70, R Karlsson (Swe) 70 68, C Cevaer (Fra) 67 71, H Stenson (Swe) 70 68, L Donald 66 72, J Sandelin (Swe) 65 73. 139 - S O'Hara 70 69, D McGrane 68 71, P O'Malley (Aus) 68 71, E Canonica (Ita) 71 68, P Casey 67 72, I Woosnam 72 67, S Little 69 70, O Wilson 67 72, A Bossert (Swi) 69 70, F Molinari (Ita) 73 66, P Gustafsson (Swe) 69 70. 140 - S Scahill (Nzl) 69 71, M Jonzon (Swe) 67 73, G Emerson 70 70, B Dredge 72 68, J-A Larsen (Nor) 68 72, M A Jimenez (Spa) 71 69, M Eliasson (Swe) 72 68, R Rock 69 71, T Schuster (Ger) 70 70. 141 - G Brand Jnr 70 71, S Luna (Spa) 69 72, P Hanson (Swe) 72 69, J-F Lima (Por) 76 65, J M Lara (Spa) 73 68, P Golding 68 73, I Garbutt 73 68, J Spence 71 70, R Gonzalez (Arg) 74 67, P Senior (Aus) 68 73, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 72 69, M Tunnicliff 72 69. 142 - C Schwartzel (Rsa) 74 68, P Hedblom (Swe) 66 76, B Lane 72 70, S Khan 70 72, P Archer 73 69, S Dyson 74 68, S Manley 70 72, A McLardy (Rsa) 69 73, M Knight (Swi) 70 72, J Axgren (Swe) 68 74, R Chapman 72 70. 143 - M Cayeux (Zim) 75 68, L Slattery 71 72, M Olander (Swe) 72 71, M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 71 72, T Dier (Ger) 71 72, W Ormsby (Aus) 70 73, (x) E Molinari (Ita) 72 71, N Colsaerts (Bel) 71 72, A Maestroni (Ita) 68 75, A Wall 72 71, B Rumford (Aus) 75 68, M Lafeber (Ned) 69 74, M Foster 71 72, J Backstrom (Swe) 73 70, R Russell 71 72, J Skold (Swe) 72 71, P Sjoland (Swe) 68 75, R Bland 67 76.

Missed the cut: 144 - G Murphy 72 72, P Fowler (Aus) 71 73, (x) M Rominger (Swi) 74 70, B Teilleria (Fra) 71 73, A Oldcorn 70 74, M Lundberg (Swe) 68 76, F Henge (Swe) 73 71, D Griffiths 74 70, A Tadini (Ita) 74 70, G Bourdy (Fra) 72 72, M Maritz (Rsa) 72 72, M A Martin (Spa) 72 72, G Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 73 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 73, (x) N Sulzer (Swi) 74 70, (x) F Praegant (Aut) 74 70, D Drysdale 76 68. 145 - K Eriksson (Swe) 71 74, P Lawrie 69 76, S Struver (Ger) 71 74, S Browne 71 74, J Bickerton 75 70, R Coles 72 73, F Delamontagne (Fra) 72 73, S Wakefield 76 69, E Romero (Arg) 71 74, J-F Lucquin (Fra) 71 74. 146 - J Kingston (Rsa) 73 73, F Valera (Spa) 76 70, F Roca (Spa) 73 73, NCheetham 70 76, R Zimmermann (Swi) 71 75, P Baker 70 76, A Coltart 74 72, B Mason 73 73, M Fraser (Aus) 72 74, S Little 75 71. 147 - T Moore (Rsa) 75 72, D Lynn 75 72, A Marshall 73 74, J Donaldson 73 74, H Nystrom (Swe) 75 72, C Rocca (Ita) 72 75, R Sterne (Rsa) 76 71, J-F Remesy (Fra) 74 73. 148 - J Haeggman (Swe) 74 74, C Rodiles (Spa) 75 73, R Jacquelin (Fra) 71 77, M Sanders 76 72, H Rey (Arg) 71 77, D Park 73 75, C Hanell (Swe) 73 75, S Hurd 74 74, J Moseley (Aus) 72 76. 149 - B Kennedy (Aus) 73 76, Rolf M (Ned) 74 75, R Ballesteros (Spa) 75 74, (x) C Terragni (Ita) 74 75. 150 - S Lyle 75 75, R Wiederkehr (Swi) 71 79, (x) D Ulrich (Swi) 76 74. 151 - G Havret (Fra) 78 73, B Coathalem (Fra) 74 77, R Finch 73 78, P Edberg (Swe) 74 77, S Hansen (Den) 72 79. 152 - L Oosthuizen (Rsa) 74 78, M Mackenzie 75 77, M Blackey 80 72. 154 - P Walton 79 75, T Fisher 75 79. 155 - M Ilonen (Fin) 80 75. 156 - B Painting (Zim) 77 79, S Stapleton 77 79, M Roe 76 80, A Chopard (Swi) 78 78. 159 - C Godfrey (Nig) 77 82. 171 - M Bernardini (Ita) 84 87.