Kiradech Aphibarnrat admitted to being full of confidence after claiming a share of the clubhouse lead midway through the second round of the Volvo China Open as he bids for back-to-back European Tour titles.
The 25 year old Thai, who pipped Li Hao-tong in a play-off for the Shenzhen International on Sunday, carded a four under par 68 at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club to join Italy’s Matteo Manassero on five under par at the halfway stage.
Starting at the tenth, three birdies in his first five holes took the big-hitting Aphibarnrat to four under and level with the first round mark set by Bradley Dredge, Michael Hendry and David Howell.
A five footer at the first saw Aphibarnrat reach five under for the first time, and although he bogeyed the third, a birdie from eight feet on the ninth – his last – was enough for a share of the lead.
“I’m very happy, especially as it’s playing tough – there are lots of slopes on the greens and the course is very firm,” said Aphibarnrat.
“I’m not driving the ball as well as I did last week, but the rest of my game is in pretty good shape, especially my short game.
“I’m still feeling good; I’ve been getting lots of rest and eating well, so I’m feeling fine and ready to go.
“Mentally I’m still sharp and my confidence is high, so I just have to keep it up.
“My Mum is still here with me and she told me to keep going and win back to back, so hopefully I can do it for her. She’s my good luck charm.”
Manassero missed his first five cuts of the season, but after improving his fortunes by finishing 59th and 29th on his last two appearances, The European Tour’s youngest winner continued to edge towards his best form by matching Aphibarnrat’s 68.
The Italian, who only turned 22 last week, went to the turn in 33 and picked up a shot at the second.
The four-time European Tour winner bogeyed the fourth, but like Aphibarnrat was able to cash in on the par five ninth after an excellent pitch to two feet.
“I’m playing very solid golf, and I’m glad to have my confidence back and to be shooting some good scores again,” said Manassero. “I like this course and it suits my game.
“I struggled on the greens last week, and I missed some shots to the right, which you couldn’t afford to do on that course. But this week I’m hitting it much straighter and I’m reading the greens much better, which is why I’m much nearer the top of the leaderboard.
“It’s now much less complicated for me to work through my process. And because I’m hitting it straighter and shooting lower scores, that obviously that leads to your confidence coming back.
“I’m not there yet and I don’t want to say I’m completely out of the woods just yet, but everything is much clearer now and I’m on a much better path.”
On the course, France’s Julien Quesne had also reached five under through five holes courtesy of birdies at the second and fourth.
Howell shot a level par 72 to join Korea’s An Byeong-hun on four under in the clubhouse, with Dredge, Hendry and defending champion Alex Levy on the same mark out on the course.
Quesne also birdied the seventh and ninth to turn in 32 and when the two-time European Tour winner got up-and-down from a bunker on the par five 13th and pitched to four feet at the next he was suddenly nine under par.
Levy kept tabs with gains of his own at the 11th and 12th to be only one behind, with a three shot gap back to Aphibarnrat, Manassero, last week’s runner-up Li, France’s Jérôme Lando Casanova and America’s Peter Uihlein.
