Panuphol Pittayarat fired an impressive round of 66 to set the clubhouse target early on day two of the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth.
The innovative event is making its third appearance in the Race to Dubai, with three rounds of stroke play cutting the field before the top 24 players go head-to-head in six hole knockout match play on Sunday to decide a winner.
In glorious conditions at Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Pittayarat carded seven birdies and a bogey to get to eight under and share the lead with Matthew Griffin, who had four holes left to play.
Ryan Fox, Brad Kennedy and Robert MacIntyre were all on course at seven under alongside overnight leaders Kristoffer Reitan and Miguel Tabuena, who were among the later starters.
Pittayarat started the day five shots off the lead but quickly had himself within one as he made birdies on the second, fourth, sixth and seventh.
A bogey on the eighth dropped him back but the Thai picked up shots on the ninth and 11th to share the lead.
Griffin had earlier moved into a share with birdies on the 11th, 13th, 14th and 15th but he dropped a shot on the 17th before bouncing back on the first.
Englishman Richard McEvoy hit back from a bogey on the fourth with gains on the sixth, ninth and tenth, and when Fox birdied the 14th, 15th and fourth after a birdie-bogey start, there was a six-way tie at the top.
Pittayarat broke out of that group with a birdie on the 15th and home favourite Griffin soon joined him at eight under as he made a gain on the fourth.
Kiwi Fox dropped a shot on the sixth but picked it straight back up on the next as Pittayarat made smart up-and-downs on the 17th and last to set the target.
Scot MacIntyre had an eagle on the 11th and birdies on the 14th, 15th and second in his first 12 holes, while Australian Kennedy birdied the sixth, 12th and 15th in his first 15.
McEvoy dropped a shot on the 14th to slip to six under alongside Australia's Deyen Lawson.
