Not many golfers hug their caddie halfway through an event, but for former Ryder Cup star Ignacio Garrido it was perfectly understandable today.

"Probably the best I've ever played - this is a dream," said Garrido after following up a first round 66 with a course record 63 to lead the Spanish Open in Seville by four shots.

"I think for any player the most important tournament after the majors is your own national championship."

Now he has a golden opportunity to join a list of winners that includes his father Antonio in 1972 - just 19 days after Ignacio was born.

Swede Martin Erlandsson lies second, while last week's winner Darren Clarke is 12 behind on three under, Colin Montgomerie only just survived the cut on one under and former Open champion John Daly crashed out at one over.

Peter Lawrie is the leading Irishman after his second round 70 left the Dubliner tied 13th on six-under. Paul McGinley also made the cut after today's 68 moved him to two-under after yesterday's sluggish opening 74.

Gary Murphy (71) and Gareth Maybin (74) will not be around for the weekend afte they finished one-over and four-over respectively.

Amazingly, 36-year-old Garrido had missed the cut on six of his previous seven
starts this season and he has been very much a fringe figure since beating current Masters champion Trevor Immelman in a play-off for the European Tour' s flagship PGA Championship in 2003.

The five-year Tour exemption that Wentworth triumph earned him runs out at the end of this season. He is 125th on the money list and only the top 115 keep their cards, but total happiness is just two rounds away.

"I thought I could not play any better than yesterday, but obviously I could," he added after his nine-birdie display. Only once in his Tour career has he scored lower.

"We play a very tough sport. It can go fantastic and next day you don't know
what you are doing, but despite my recent results I knew the game was there."

Garrido, second to Seve Ballesteros in 1995 after being the joint halfway leader and a runner-up again to Jarmo Sandelin nine years ago, was seven clear of the field when he signed his card at lunchtime.

First round leader Erlandsson was among the later starters, though, and he added a 68 to his 65.

Clarke improved three shots on his opening 72, but said: "I'm making too many mistakes," while Montgomerie did not stop to speak at all after two bogeys in his last four holes.

Daly, also playing next week's Italian Open, had three birdies and then an eagle in his last eight holes, but that came after he had slumped to five over and it was too little, too late.

South African Charl Schwartzel, hoping to become the first player since Max Faulkner in 1953 to make a successful defence, also bowed out.