Port Dickson [NEGERI SEMBILAN]: Domsetic young gun Kenneth De Silva found himself in the halfway lead at the Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) ASEAN PGA Port Dickson Championship on Thursday.

De Silva, who came to prominence with victory in the PGM Sarawak Masters in 2012, shot a second-round 68 for a total of six-under-par 136 and a one-stroke advantage over countryman Lim Eng Seng (68) and Thais Pipatpong and Ratchapol Jantavara.

Pipatpong, currently fifth on the 2014 Road to Sabah Masters rankings, looked to have righted the ship with four birdies in six holes after going bogey, bogey early in his the round but dropped out of the lead with a double bogey at the seventh (his 16th after starting at the 10th) and a bogey at the next.

De Silva had an up-and-down day mixing six bogeys with three birdies at Port Dickson Golf and Country Club. Happy with his first-half performance, he admitted to just keeping it simple. “I am trying not to do anything special, but just keep focused,” said the former national.

Thailand’s Kwanchai Tannin, last season’s ASEAN PGA Tour number one who was joint third after the first round, fell back with a 74 and his teenaged countryman Phachara Khongwatmai, who won last year’s Singha Hua Hin Open aged just 14, added a 73 to his opening 74 and lies in joint 50th spot.

Leading second round scores (Malaysian unless stated):
136 – Kenneth De Silva 68-68
137 – Ratchapol Jantavara (THA) 68-69, Pipatpong Naewsuk (THA) 64-73, Lim Eng Seng 69-68
138 – Varut Chomchalam (THA) 66-72, Wilson Choo Zhe Ming 69-69, Mohd Sukree Othman 69-69
139 – Tanatchan Puaktes (THA) 72-67, Kemarol Baharin 67-72
140 – Airil Rizman Zahari 68-72, Varan Israbhakdi (THA) 70-70, Mohd Azman Basharudin 69-71, Kurnia Herishandy (INA) 71-69