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CARNOUSTIE - Spain's Sergio Garcia vowed to do his own thing on Monday (NZ time) and bring home his first golf major with a British Open title which "was there for the taking".
The 27-year-old was sitting pretty on top of the leaderboard on Sunday, a new position for a man who has yet to convert his brilliant and rare talent into one of golf's four biggest prizes.
A superbly-controlled 68, secured from a concentration which was not shaken even after his ball struck a photographer, left him three clear of American Steve Stricker and six ahead of the rest of the field on nine-under 204.
Tiger Woods, so often Garcia's nemesis since the popular Spaniard broke through as a teenager, was on the far fringes of contention at one under.
"If I am in control, the way I'm hitting the ball, it's right there for the taking," Garcia told a news conference.
"It's going to be a hard day but hopefully one to remember and I can't wait for it to start."
Garcia said he was quite content to be in the limelight.
"The good thing about it is even if you don't have the best of starts, you're still there," he explained.
"If you're behind and don't have the best of starts, it feels like you're falling way back, you have to attack more and try to go for pins that maybe you shouldn't."
Garcia barely missed a green all day, often taking an iron off the tee for accuracy, and his pinpoint play garnered him three birdies and a host of other chances. He did not have any bogeys.
His biggest miscue came at the 17th where he pulled an approach at the 461-yard hole into the rough where it struck the photographer behind his ear.
"It's never a very nice feeling to hit anybody. I don't recommend it," said Garcia.
"I shook him by the hand. He told me he was fine ... he said, 'I'm perfect, just worry about yourself'."
The shaken photographer was later cleared by medical staff, media colleagues said, and Garcia gave him a signed glove.
Garcia has the hopes of a continent on his shoulders, Europe have not won a major since Paul Lawrie triumphed at Carnoustie eight years ago.
He said he would follow his usual routine between rounds, spending time with his family and eating his mother's supper before watching television to relax.
"I usually sleep great," he said.
Garcia added that on Sunday morning he would watch television coverage of the tournament to see how the greens were running and where the pins were positioned.
"I don't care if somebody says, 'no, that's not good for you'. I don't care. If it makes me happy it is good for me," he said.
- REUTERS
