Miguel Angel Jiménez continued to defy a heavy cold as he established a one shot clubhouse lead midway through the second round of the True Thailand Classic presented by Black Mountain.
The European Tour’s oldest winner had complained of feeling under the weather during his opening 67, although that had not prevented him dancing on the fairway after holing his approach to the ninth for eagle.
And the 51 year old Spaniard insisted he was still bunged up on Friday, although there was little sign of it as he reeled off seven birdies at Black Mountain Golf Club.
Jiménez did drop a shot at the ninth, his final hole, after a wayward tee shot and coming up short of the green with his approach to card a 66 and 11 under halfway total.
That closing bogey saw a three shot lead reduced to one as playing partner Kiradech Aphibarnrat birdied the same hole from eight feet for a second straight round of 67.
“I’m very happy,” said Jiménez. “I am disappointed to make bogey on the last but overall I played very solid and made a lot of birdies.
“I was hitting shots right at the flags today. You need to be in the right places on the greens to put the ball on the right side of the hole, because the putts are very fast - I like it.
“I have a cold and I’m very bunged up and slept terribly last night, but apart from that I’m fine.”
Home favourite Aphibarnrat eagled the long second for the second day running, as well as carding six birdies and three bogeys.
And the 25 year old admitted it was not going to be easy overhauling a man more than twice his age over the weekend.
“We’ve been playing a lot in Europe last year and he’s a really nice guy,” he said. “But it’s not easy to beat an old guy like him! He hits the ball very far and is striking it very well. He’s a world-class player in my eyes.”
Overnight leader Michael Hoey was among the afternoon starters and birdied the fourth to join Richard T Lee and Scott Hend in a share of third on nine under.
There were some great shots as well as great rounds – none more so than Panuphol Pittayarat’s ace on the 201-yard 14th, which earned the Thai a new house.
“I’m still shaking after finishing 18 holes,” he said. “It’s the second time I got a hole-in-one in my career; all I got the first time was two shots but this time I really got something! I’ve seen the pictures of the house every day since I arrived here, and now it’s mine.”
