Chon Buri: Spain's Rafa Cabrera Bello shot a seven-under-par 65 in the second round to take a two-shot lead at the halfway stage of the 2023 Thailand Classic yesterday.
The four-time DP World Tour winner had a two-day total of 131, two strokes ahead of Italy's Fabrizio Zanotti who hit a 67 at Amata Spring Country Club yesterday.
Kiradech Aphibarnrat was Thailand's best performer, firing a 67 for 135, four shots off the lead, in the US$2 million DP World Tour event.
"It's not too far," Kiradech said.
Cabrera Bello, who started at the 10th tee in the second round, saw his two birdies at the 11th and 12th holes cancelled out by a double bogey on the 17th.
The 38-year-old staged an impressive recovery, though, firing seven birdies in his last 10 holes to sign for a 65 and go into the weekend on 13-under 131.
Zanotti made an eagle, four birdies and one bogey in his 67.
Kazuki Higa, Thriston Lawrence, Alexander Knappe, Yannik Paul, Thorbjorn Olesen and Christoffer Bring were in a six-way tie for third another shot further back and one clear of the group containing home favourite Kiradech.
Cabrera Bello said: "The 17th is a tough hole and it was pretty windy. I got a wind gust. I didn't hit that bad of a shot, but it is what it is. I just kept my head down and kept focusing on what I was doing. The birdie on the 18th put me right back on track.
"I've been doing a lot of work over the break on my swing and trying to make it better. I feel some weeks it really clicks, other weeks it's not quite there. I'm trending in the right direction and happy the swing is feeling good this week and I'm making good scores."
Starting from the 10 tee at 7.55am, Cabrera Bello made back-to-back birdies at the 11th and 12th to climb to eight under.
But he surrendered a double bogey at the par-three 17th -- Amata Spring Country Club's signature hole which has a floating green -- to return to where he started the day.
The Spaniard bounced back in style, though, making a hat-trick of gains at the 18th, first and second to repair the damage. He kept his foot on the gas, picking up four successive birdies from the fifth, courtesy of some wonderful putting.
The Spaniard gave himself another outside birdie chance at the ninth -- his last hole of the day -- but had to settle for a closing par.
