Sergio Garcia restored some European pride when charging up the leaderboard on day two of the Bay Hill Invitational in Orlando, Florida yesterday.
The Spanish sensation stepped up a gear after his opening-round 71 to fire a six-under-par 66 which moved him up to joint-second in the star-studded field.
Paul Goydos holds a one-shot lead at halfway after a second successive 68 put him on eight under 136, but Garcia is heading the chasing pack which also includes American duo Chris Perry (66) and Scott McCarron (70) plus South African Fulton Allem (67) and New Zealand's Grant Waite (71).
World number one Tiger Woods also made a forward move as he looks to end a six-tournament barren spell, a 67 putting him on six under par.
Bernhard Langer is next best of the trans-Atlantic raiding party on two under after a 70, while Lee Westwood stayed at one under courtesy of a 72.
Colin Montgomerie recovered from his opening-round 75 to card a 69 and make the cut on level par alongside Nick Faldo, who has had successive 72s.
Frenchman Jean Van de Velde will also be playing over the weekend but a 76 undid the good work of his 69 on Thursday.
Spanish duo Miguel Jimenez and Jose Maria Olazabal failed to match the exploits of compatriot Garcia and will be heading home early alongside Ireland's Darren Clarke, who compounded the misery of his first-round 80 with a 78.
Clarke's misery continued with a front nine of seven over par 43 yesterday with double bogeys at the sixth and ninth holes. He did get his act together with a homeward half of 35 but it was a long off the cut of 144.
