That put him level with Englishman Richard Finch and Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen, the first-round leader.

Garcia suffered a shaky start with a bogey at the second hole, but used his local knowledge to good effect as he fired seven birdies thereafter.

His back nine was peppered with some sublime short play, the highlight of which was a brilliantly controlled chip from the rough with his second shot on 18 which stopped inches from the pin.

“I’ve had to play that shot many times but that’s probably the closest I’ve got,” said Garcia.

“I knew as soon as I hit it that it would be close and it was great to finish the round with a birdie again.

“This week is great. It’s nice to be in this position as there is a little bit of pressure playing on my home course. But I’m really enjoying it and hope I can be 100% over the weekend.”

Finch went on a six-hole birdie spree on his way to a 66, racking up shots on six successive holes from the fifth, but that run came to an abrupt halt at the par-four 11th where he three-putted for bogey, and he dropped another shot at the last.

Kjeldsen also bogeyed the 18th, finding bunkers from the tee and with his second shot, for a 67, which cost him the outright lead.

It was a different story 12 months ago for Finch as he left it until his last event of the season to secure his card with a seventh-placed finish at the Mallorca Classic.

Three months after that he won the New Zealand Open, in May he clinched the Irish Open, and he was comfortably placed at 19th in the Order of Merit heading into this event.

“I’m sleeping a little better than I did this time last year,” said Finch.

“I’m still as determined as I was last year but the pressure is not so great and I’m able to sleep a lot better.

“Keeping hold of your card is such a tough thing to do.

“Today was strange. The run of birdies was great and it was like I couldn’t miss. But then on the way back I only had one and it shows how the game can turn.”

Five players were on nine under, including Alvaro Quiros, last week’s Portugal Masters champion, who continued his red-hot form with a 66, and Frenchman Francois Delamontagne, who needs a strong performance to finish in the top 115 and retain his European Tour card for next season.

Camilo Villegas lived up to his billing as one of golf’s most exciting young talents by hitting a hole in one on the par-three 12th, which helped him to a five-under 66 to leave him six under.

Garcia said of the shot: “I said to him you’re not supposed to do this on my home course. But I was just joking, I was very happy for him.

“That was the hole where I got my first ever hole in one.”

Peter Lawrie, Paul McGinley and Gary Murphy all missed the cut, with Rory McIlroy the best of the Irish in joint-10th place at seven under par.