Miguel Angel Jimenez lavished praise upon compatriot Pablo Larrazabal after the duo shot Spain into the halfway lead at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup today.
Jimenez and Larrazabal appeared to provide the perfect foil for each other in foursomes as they produced an almost perfect performance in the second round to open up a four-stroke lead over Australia and Germany.
Having started the day two shots off the pace, the pair carded a nine-under-par 63 on the Olazabal course at Mission Hills Golf Club for a 17-under 127 total as Spain chase a fifth World Cup victory.
The pairing of Larrazabal and Jimenez blends youth and experience, a mixture that certainly appeared to pay dividends today with the only blot on their scorecard a bogey on the par-five 15th - the Olazabal course's signature hole.
Otherwise they were in fine form with Jimenez's 16-foot putt for eagle on the third and Larrazabal's long birdie putt at the 16th particular highlights.
And with Spain having produced golfing greats such as Seve Ballesteros, Jose Maria Olazabal and current world number two Sergio Garcia, Jimenez admits he expects big things of 2008 European Tour Rookie of the Year Larrazabal.
"Pablo is nice and fresh," said the 44-year-old "He brings a breath of fresh air to the Tour.
"When people come in at this age and at the beginning of the Tour, they come in with a certain type of condition. Like you see Seve and Sergio and Ollie, you see all of these players, not only in Spain, they want to make things.
"And he's playing very well, he's hitting the ball very solid, and he hits very, very good irons on the greens.
"He has a very, very big future, and I like to play with a guy like him it's nice because it's always good to have a fresh eye."
With play returning to fourballs in tomorrow's third round, Spain could conceivably see their four-stroke lead quickly diminish.
Germany, who along with Australia are Spain's nearest challengers at 13 under, revelled in fourballs yesterday, carding a 10-under-par 62.
But, despite a solid start today in which they picked up a birdie on the second, Germany struggled along the rest of the front nine with Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka combining for two bogeys and just one birdie before the turn.
They improved coming home with three birdies in an otherwise flawless run to finish with a three under 69.
"We were just trying to survive today and not to lose too much ground," said Cejka.
"I think we can be pleased with a couple under today."
Pre-tournament favourites Sweden improved on their fourballs performance with a 67 today and lie in fourth place at 12 under while Ireland remain in contention a shot further behind alongside the United States.
"Four-under is a good day in foursomes," said Paul McGinley, who combined with team-mate Graeme McDowell for a 68 today.
"Spain have got out in front but we are right there and are in with a shout. We are going to have to play well again on the weekend."
Scotland's chances of staging a successful defence of the World Cup look bleak as Colin Montgomerie and Alastair Forsyth signed for a one-over-par 73 that leaves them 14 shots off the pace.
England's Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher combined for a 74 and are one-under-par overall while Bradley Dredge and Richard Johnson stuttered to a five over 77 that leaves Wales propping up the leaderboard.
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