Garcia leads suspended Castello Masters

Defending champion Sergio Garcia fired an eight-under 63 on Thursday to lead during the suspended first round of the Castello Masters.

Michael Jonzon shot a seven-under 64 in round one and is tied for second place with Robert Allenby, who is seven-under par through 11 holes at Club de Campo del Mediterraneo.

The first round was suspended due to darkness on Thursday, but a three-hour delay due to high winds is what set the first round behind. Gusts up to 40 miles per hour caused officials to stop play, but half of the field completed the round on schedule.

One player who didn't even get started was Masters champion Angel Cabrera. The two-time major winner had trouble getting from Bermuda, where he played in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf Tuesday and Wednesday, to Spain.

If the delay would've happened a little earlier, Cabrera would've been fine. The stoppage didn't so when Martin Kaymer, playing for the first time since the PGA Championship after a toe injury, and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano teed off and Cabrera didn't make it, he was disqualified.

That helps the defending champion with one of the top players out of the field.

Garcia, who calls Club de Campo del Mediterraneo his home course, started on the back nine Thursday and flew out of the gate with back-to-back birdies at 10 and 11.

The Spaniard parred two in a row, then birdied No. 14. Garcia closed his opening nine with three consecutive birdies from the 16th to go out in six- under-par 29.

Garcia continued the strong form around the turn with a seven-foot birdie putt at the first. He chipped to three feet to set up birdie at the par-five fourth to reach eight-under par.

Garcia stayed at that number with pars at the next three holes.

Then the delay occurred and Garcia waited for three hours.

And he returned to his birdie ways immediately. Garcia birdied the par-five eighth when the stoppage ended to get to nine-under, but trouble loomed at his closing hole.

Garcia drove into the left rough behind a tree at nine. He wedged his second over the tree, but still missed the putting surface left. Garcia chipped to seven feet, but his par putt stayed above ground.

"You never like to finish like that, but other than that it was pretty solid and I made some nice putts," said Garcia, who is winless in 2009, but can successfully defend a title for the first time in his career.

Garcia endured the difficult conditions better than everyone. Despite this championship being contested on his home course, that wind isn't something Garcia sees often.

"We get a wind like that only three or four days a year - and usually on those days we chill at home," joked Garcia.

Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal and Emanuele Canonica are knotted in fourth place after six-under 65s.

Rafa Echenique, David Horsey, Pablo Martin and Miles Tunnicliff each posted rounds of four-under 67 on Thursday. They are tied for sixth place with Kaymer and Justin Rose, who are both on the back nine in round one.

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