Thai golfer Panuphol Pittayarat birdied two of his last three holes to maintain a one-stroke lead over Australian Scott Hend and two other players after Friday's second round of The Championship at Laguna National.
The overnight leader fired a four-under-par 68 for a two-round total of 13-under 131, a shot ahead of Hend, American David Lipsky and Felipe Aguilar of Chile.
Hend made eight birdies to shoot a seven-under 65 - the low round of the day - while Aguilar had a 67 and Lipsky a 68.
The Australian, who's also looking for his first European Tour title, said it was difficult to stay focused in the hot, humid conditions at Singapore's Laguna course.
"I am used to this kind of weather but it still comes to a point where your body just cannot take it and it makes you lose concentration," he said. "I'm managing well so far. Two more rounds to go and we will see what happens."
Panuphol, ranked 451st in the world, has never won on the European Tour and has missed his past three cuts on the Asian Tour.
"The two birdies in my last three holes were nice to end off my round," he said. "It's nice to be putting myself in a good position heading into the last two rounds. I would rather stay up there than to be chasing the lead actually. I just want to grab my chance and not let it go."
Aguilar, playing with a sore wrist after a recent mountain biking accident, birdied his last three holes to card his 67.
"(The wrist) doesn't bother me much, but I still have pain. It will be there for the next four or five months," he said. "Everything you do is dangerous so you have to be careful, but I'm playing good golf because I'm happy, and so the mountain biking helps."
Anders Hansen is also returning from a wrist injury that required surgery and kept him off the tour for six months last year. He missed the cut at his first two events this year, but finished tied for fifth last week at the China Open.
The Danish golfer shot a 66 on Friday to move into a share of fifth place at 11-under, two strokes off the pace. He dropped a stroke on his final hole when he three-putted for bogey.
"It's always hard coming back after an injury," he said. "I've never had six months off before so I didn't know what to expect. It was tough, the first four rounds I played, the first two in Spain and Malaysia, but then last week something kicked in and it has carried on this week."
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