Donaldson Maintains His Lead

The world No 68 had progressed past 29 holes (including the back nine he started on Friday ) with 14 birdies without an error until his scorecard was firstly tarnished on the third hole. He eventually settled with seven birdies against three bogeys for a two-day total of 13 under-par 131, three ahead of two-time Major champion Martin Kaymer of Germany.

 

 

 

‘’ It’s important to get off to a good start. You need to keep the momentum going and I managed to do that today. It was a great temperature at the start of the day but it got really hot on my back nine which is the front nine as I started from 10th. It was a case of trying to stay hydrated and not sweat too much on the ball,” said the 40-year-old leader looking to end his long drought of title after the Czech Masters in August last year.

 

 

 

“ I just got to keep playing like I’ve played. I’ve played well for the first two days. I dropped a couple of shots out there today but I just got to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Overall, I’ve been playing nicely,” said Donaldson, a member of the winning Ryder Cup team of Europe in 2014.

 

 

 

Last year runner-up  Kaymer fired eight birdies against a lone bogey on the 14 th, his only error in two days, for a second round 65 and a midway of 11-under-par 133 on aggregate.

 

 

 

“They say you get a nicer weather playing in the morning but that was not really the case. It was like a sauna out there. It was really warm but the good thing is that the ball actually goes a bit further. You feel it goes further that how it did yesterday. I played really well. I think a seven-under-par is a really good score,” said the German who returned to the 7,453 yard par 72 course in hope to make amends for his one shot loss to  Lee Westwood 12 months ago.

 

 

 

Chinnarat Phadungsil despite arriving home on Wednesday after successfully qualifying for the Japan Tour carded a 69 for a total nine-under-par 135 which placed him at joint third alongside 2013 winner Sergio Garcia and British Masters champion Matthew Fitzpatrick.

 

 

 

“I came into this tournament without much expectation but it turned out that I play quite well when I did not push myself hard like I normally do. If I continue with this form, I may have a shot at a slot for the Open (top four finishers win places in the Open) which I always dream of playing,” said Chinnawat who just had his first baby boy last month.

 

 

 

2013 US Amateur champion Fitzpatrick , who celebrated his first European Tour win in the October’s British Masters, shot a 67 while world No 12 Sergio Garcia, hit a 69

 

 

 

‘It’s been good so far, a good weekend and I hope I can keep things going. If you miss the fairways here the rough is quick thick so at the moment the plan has been to not miss any fairways and give myself a chance into the greens – and it’s been working,” said the 21-year-old Fitzpatrick in his first appearance in the tournament.

 

 

 

Garcia said: “I thought I played pretty decent. I just left a couple of shots here and there. I felt like I was really struggling with the heat on the back nine.”

 

 

 

Panuphol Pittayarat’s superb round of a 66 propelled him to the sixth spot along with South Korean Byeonghun An, each with a total of eight-under-par 136.

 

 

 

Defending champion Lee Westwood hit a 68 and a total five-under-par 139, which equaled with local rising stars Natipong Srithong and Prachara Khongwatmai. Thai No 1 Thongchai Jaidee, Darren Clarke followed a stroke behind with a 140.

 

 

 

Thai No 2 Kiradech Abhibarnrat and world No 4 Bubba Watson of the US, each, carded three-under-par 141.  Prayad Marksaeng sank his second straight 73 for two-over-par 146, falling to make the cut at even par 144.