American Peter Uihlein edged closer to a second European Tour victory with a round of 68 to move one shot clear on nine under par on day two of the Shenzen International in China.

The 2013 Madeira Islands winner heads to the weekend just ahead of Thailand’s Kiradeck Aphibarnrat while double Masters winner Bubba Watson trails nine behind his American-born compatriot.

Uihlein had holed a neat putt at the sixth, a par four, for a gain to draw level with previous clubhouse leader Aphibarnrat, whose monster birdie putt at the third was among his shots of the day.
Uihlein, 82nd on The Race To Dubai, was one under for his first nine holes, the harder ones in the gusts, and then took advantage of the wind to pick up three shots in nine flawless holes.

“It was tricky today. The wind was swirling quite a bit,” he said.

American Peter Uihlein edges one shot clear on day two of the Shezhen International. (Photo – www.europeantour.com)

“I got the back nine out of the way pretty quickly. I played very solid. I felt like getting anything under par on the back nine was nice, and I played a pretty stress free front nine which is always good.”

Uihlein, aged 25, admits his approach is not to overcomplicate matters.

“I don’t have much going on upstairs, just spacing out, doing my own thing and sticking to my own game plan,” Uihlein added.

“I don’t really change it very often. It worked the first couple days so I’ll see how it goes from there.”

Uihlein, whose only European Tour win came at the 2013 Madeira Islands Open and gave him full Tour Membership, was a stroke ahead of overnight leader Huang Wey-yi of China, who was one under going into his closing holes.

A single shot behind Huang were Emiliano Grillo, Gregory Havret, Matt Ford and Darren Fichardt, who had all finished their second rounds.

Like Uihlein, Aphibarnrat’s one European Tour victory was in 2013, at the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The Thai has been playing in America in recent weeks and said: “It was a great round. Again, the wind was getting up on a few holes before I finished, but the way I was striking the ball is still very good.

“When I go out worldwide, I learn a lot of experience and I saw many top players play. Even this week, we have Bubba Watson around.

“So it’s been helping Asian players to keep improving when we see all the star players, how they are playing, how they are playing the shots, and just adapt it to my golf game and it’s improving.”

Sweden’s Niclas Fasth produced the shot of the day with a hole-in-one on the third, although his two under par for the day left him on one under overall, a stroke ahead of two-time Masters Champion Watson.

Watson reflected: “It’s tough. I haven’t played very well. I haven’t putted very well. But it’s a beautiful golf course.”

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