Garcia's father Victor is still the professional at Castellon

Sergio Garcia surged into a four-shot lead after round three of the Castello Masters on his home course in Spain.

The world number five shot a five-under 66 to reach 16 under to lead England's Simon Dyson and David Lynn, Swede Peter Hedblom and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

England's Richard Finch and Scot Stephen Gallacher were another stroke adrift on 11 under.

Alvaro Quiros, who won last week's Portugal Masters, was two back at the start but carded 76 to fall back.

Garcia, 28, back at the Club de Campo course in Castellon where his father Victor is still the professional, birdied the second with a long putt and then picked up shots on four consecutive holes to reach halfway five under for the day.

He handed back a couple of strokes immediately after the turn but three more birdies in his last six holes, marred only by a bogey at the 17th, put him in a promising position to claim his first European Tour win in more than three years.

"I'm very motivated to win this tournament for a lot of reasons - it's the European circuit, it's in Spain, on my course," said Garcia.

"I played great from five to eight, the chip in at the fifth was a little bonus.

If I keep playing aggressively, like my normal self, I should do it Sergio Garcia

"Unfortunately I put a bad swing on the ball on 10 and dropped a shot and that rattled me a little bit, I got a little bit nervous and I dropped another. But then I came back well with three more birdies."

Garcia's last victory in Europe was the 2005 European Masters, though he has had seven second places since then and also won the prestigious Players' Championship on the US Tour earlier this year.

"I've been close to winning in Europe a few times since 2005 but unfortunately it hasn't happened, but I'll have to play well because those behind me are not going to be quiet," he added.

"It won't be easy but if I keep playing aggressively, like my normal self, I should do it."

Finch, the co-overnight leader with Garcia and Kjeldsen, briefly threatened to race clear, but the Yorkshireman had three bogeys on the back nine and had to settle for a level-par 71.

Lynn, Hedblom and Dyson are all playing for places in next week's lucrative season-ending Volvo Masters.

Two-time Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal compiled four birdies in five holes after the turn on the way to a 67 for eight under and 13th place.

But the 42-year-old Spaniard, recovering from a 2007 season blighted by rheumatism and just back from a three-month lay-off caused by the effects of medication, said he still had a long way to go to get back to his own high standards.

"My front nine today was the same as the first two days, hitting shots nowhere near the flag, but my back nine was much better and I set up quite a few birdie chances," Olazabal said.

"Looking at the future, though, I have to improve on my ball striking."

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