Luke Donald shot a 5-under 67 Friday to take a one-shot lead after the second round of the Madrid Masters, while Sergio Garcia missed the cut of a European tournament for the first time in six years.
Donald made seven birdies before bogeys on two of his last three holes left him at 12-under 132. The English golfer was one shot ahead of Rhys Davies, who shot 68, and two in front of Jamie Donaldson. The Welshman shot a 70.
Garcia, meanwhile, only managed a 73 to miss the cut of 143 by two strokes. Since turning pro in 1999, the Spaniard has only missed two cuts in Europe, the last coming at Troon in 2004.
"Nobody likes to miss a cut, in front of your home crowd even more," said Garcia, who never recovered after he hit his second shot into the water and made double bogey at the seventh.
"It's disappointing, but it is what it is," he said. "I'm just not playing well enough. It's as simple as that."
Donald had a chance to set the lowest 36-hole total of the European Tour season when he was at 14 under with three holes to play. But he three-putted the short seventh — his 16th hole — and followed that with a bogey on the next.
"I'm in a great position," Donald said. "The two bogeys were not really bad shots and it feels like I have a little better control with my irons this week."
Davies was tied for the lead with two holes to play but bogeyed the 17th and then missed a 9-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
"I was a little disappointed the way I finished," Davies said. "I thought I could have got the lead on my own, but all in all I'm not going to complain."
