Garrido leads in Seville

Now he has a golden opportunity to join a list of winners that includes his father Antonio in 1972, who won it 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.

"Probably the best I've ever played - this is a dream," said Garrido. "I think for any player the most important tournament after the majors is your own national championship."

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 Thursday, 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.