Jiménez in Familiar Territory; Ace Wins Player a House


Miguel Angel Jiménez followed up his opening 5-under 67 with a 66 to rise to the top of the True Thailand Classic. The European Tour event got underway Thursday at Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin, Thailand.

On Friday, the 51-year-old Spaniard carded seven birdies and a bogey to reach 11-under 133, a stroke ahead of local favorite Kiradech Aphibarnrat (67) and two in front of another Thai player, Thongchai Jaidee (66), Canada's Richard T. Lee (67) and Australia's Scott Hend (68).

Though still feeling the effects of a bout with the flu that came on before the tournament, Jimenez has dropped just two shots in 36 holes. On Thursday he holed out his approach on the par-4 ninth for an eagle.

"I'm very happy," Jiménez told the European Tour's website. "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," added the 21-time European Tour winner. "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 the flu and I'm very bunged up and slept terribly last night, but apart from that I'm fine."

Aphibarnrat had a wild second round, one that listed six birdies, an eagle (on the par-5 second hole for the second straight day) and three bogeys. The 25-year-old knows who he's facing in the wily veteran Jimenez.

"We've been playing a lot in Europe last year and he's a really nice guy," Aphibarnrat 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."

Sharing sixth at 8-under 136 are Sweden's Johan Carlsson (67), Englishmen Matthew Baldwin (67) and Tom Lewis (67), and first-round leader, Michael Hoey of Northern Ireland, who started off with a 64 but carded a 72 in the second round.

Tied for 10th at 137 are Swedes Rikard Karlberg (65) and Alex Noren (70), South Korea's Jeunghun Wang (69), France's Gergory Havret (68), Spain's Carlos Pigem (72) and Australia's Wade Ormsby (65). The 65s by Karlberg and Ormsby were Friday's low rounds.

The 36-hole cut was set at 2-under 142.

The shot of the day was by Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat, who aced the 192-yard 14th hole. Instead of the traditional car, Pittayarat won a house, and though he got the hole-in-one en route to a second-round 71, he didn't qualify for the weekend.

Despite missing the cut, Pittayarat was filled with excitement after his round. "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."

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015010/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y.