Golf: Rivals left reeling by Garcia's 62

FOR THE bonnie, bonnie banks read the soggy, soggy shores. Last year the Argyll and Bute area had almost double its average rainfall and already this year it has had almost two-thirds. Parts of four greens have died off due to the rain and preferred lies were allowed for the first two days of the Standard Life tournament, which started yesterday. By Saturday, the winner may be the one walking on water, in which case Sergio Garcia would appear to be the boy.

There is a tendency for players to relax after their maiden victories and Garcia may not have been immune. If so, it made the 19-year-old Spaniard play even better. It was going to be a tall order to follow his last round 64 in winning the Irish Open on Sunday but Garcia was up to the task with a 62. At nine under par he led by two from Jesper Parnevik.

Like any other schoolkid once the exams are out of the way for the summer, Garcia means to enjoy himself. He is still registered at the Colegio Rey Don Jaime in Castellon and for the first two months of his professional career homework included hitting the books as well as practice balls.

The effect of term finishing has been stunning. Each of his last five rounds have been in the 60s and each successive round has been lower than the last. He won in Ireland, his sixth professional event, with scores of 69, 68, 67 and 64. Now his debut in Scotland has produced a 62, matching his first professional round in America at the Byron Nelson Classic.

"It's improving," Garcia smiled. But for the "lift and clean" allowance on the fairways, the score would have equalled Retief Goosen's course record. Having gone out in 30 and then birdied the 10th to go eight under, it was conceivable that the European Tour was about to see its first sub- 60 round. "On the front nine, I was capable of shooting 28 or 29 easily," Garcia said.

"Then on the back nine I did not play as well, but I hit some pretty good shots and missed a couple of good opportunities. Anyway, 62 is a great start and we'll see what happens. It's nice to see how my confidence went up last week and I'm playing better and better."

Lee Westwood, who was happy enough with his own 66, knows what it is to have such a maddeningly difficult game feel so ridiculously easy. "You see every hole as a birdie chance," Westwood said, "and you don't make any silly mistakes."

Parnevik and Westwood watched the young Spaniard every step of the way as they were in the group behind. "When things start going your way, you don't know what made the difference," Westwood added. "And you don't know how long it is going to last."

Garcia, however, has no time for such cautionary thoughts. "Every single club in my golf bag I'm hitting extremely well," he said matter-of-factly. "I don't care if I have to hit it a fade, I hit it OK. If I have to hit a draw I also hit it OK. I am very confident with my swing and I have never hit the ball closer to the hole. Even in my first few events my game was quite good and I was putting well, but I was not holing the putts."

You cannot possibly call a man lucky after a 62, but fortune smiled upon El Nino when he received a morning tee-time. In contrast to those who suffered the afternoon rain, the early starters had perfect conditions.

The course may have been playing longer but Garcia's power off the tee neutralised that. The soft greens meant he could take dead aim at the flagsticks and he proceeded to do just that. A two iron to 12 feet at the second was a sign of what was to come. That was the first of four birdies in a row, including the par-three fifth where he almost holed out with a six iron.

Three more in succession followed from the eighth and he also birdied the 13th and 15th. The only thing that promised to stop the birdie-fest was the abandoned oystercatcher's egg in a bunker at the 18th. But after consultations with the RSPCA, the RSPB, the Friends of Loch Lomond, Argyll and Bute Council, and the Loch of the Lowes Bird Sanctuary, no less, the egg was deemed addled and a moveable obstruction.

Though Parnevik also took advantage of the conditions, the course still punished anyone straying off line. Colin Montgomerie struggled with an irritating hook and bogeyed the last two holes in his 69. Nick Faldo was encouraged by his 68, after a week of intensive practice, as well as by the top of the leaderboard.

Garcia and Parnevik are two men he would like to see qualify for the Ryder Cup team automatically and be eliminated from wild card contention. "The more of them that qualify the better," Faldo said. "Then they might choose an old dog for experience to keep the young ones in check."

BOY WONDER'S WONDER RUN

In his last five rounds Sergio Garcia is 25 under par. Last week his total of 268 (16 under) won him the Irish Open in only his sixth event as a professional. He has also bettered his score in each of his last five rounds.

Murphy's Irish Open (Druids Glen, par 71)

First round 69

Second round 68

Third round 67

Fourth round 64

Standard Life tournament

(Loch Lomond, par 71)

First round 62

EARLY FIRST-ROUND SCORES

(GB or Irl unless stated)

62

S Garcia (Sp)

64

J Parnevik (Swe)

65

R Winchester, P Sjoland (Swe), M Lanner (Swe)

66

L Westwood, M Campbell (NZ)

67

C Hainline (US)

68

I Garbutt, A Oldcorn, P Price, N Faldo, G Turner (NZ), S Torrance, A Coltart

69

B Davis, M Roe, M Jonzon (Swe), E Romero (Arg), D Park, D Clarke, P Senior (Aus), J Van de Velde (Fr), C Whitelaw (SA), B Hughes (Aus), T Levet (Fr), G Hjertstedt (Swe), A Cabrera (Arg), C Montgomerie

70

T Gogele (Ger), J-F Remesy (Fr), B Mayfair (US), M James, T Gillis (US), N Van Rensburg (SA), F Cea (Sp)

71

G Owen, B May (US), MA Martin (Sp), S Allan (Aus), *L Kelly, G Sherry, R Boxall, P O'Malley (Aus), J Payne, S Webster, D Hospitl (Sp), G Day (US), S Grappasonni (It), J Mellor

72

J Spence, D Carter, M A Jimenez (Sp), I Woosnam, C Rocca (It), R Russell, D Chopra (Swe), P Broadhurst, J Bickerton, M Farry (Fr)

73

P Walton, C Dennis (US), M Hallberg (Swe), P Harrington, I Garrido (Sp), A Forsbrand (Swe), P Baker, E Darcy, P Mitchell, M McNulty (Zim), R Davis (Aus), D Edlund (Swe), S Luna (Sp), R Karlsson (Swe)

74

B Lane, A Cejka (Ger), S Struver (Ger), J Moseley (Aus), P Lonard (Aus), J Rivero (Sp), W Bennett, F Jacobson (Swe), J Singh (Ind), P Nyman (Swe), P Quirici (Swit), M Long (NZ), D Cooper

75

P Haugsrud (Nor), D Robertson, M Scarpa (It), J Chillas, A Wall, P Linhart (Sp)

76

J Lomas, K Tomori (Japan), R Jacquelin (Fr), A Sherborne, R Muntz (Neth).

77

S Richardson, R McFarlane, S Kjeldsen (Den)

78

C Hanell (Swe)

79

M Gronberg (Swe)

* Denotes amateur