The New South Welshman’s round was equalled by compatriot Karl Vilips, the pair two shots back of leader Bo Jin of China and leading the Australian charge, with Crowe’s dropped shot at the 18th taking him out of a share of second.

“Yeah. I found a couple of things to tighten up the driver yesterday afternoon, and had it going well fairly early,” Crowe said to Golf Australia magazine when asked if his confidence was back. “The confidence is certainly there this week and just have to keep grinding.”

His confidence was on full display during the back nine after making the turn in four-under.

A fifth birdie of the day at the 11th was followed by a fist pump on the 12th when his long par putt dropped to keep his positive momentum going.

“Absolutely,” he said when asked if he was trying to fire himself up by showing some emotion. “I know I threw one (fist pump) on 12. I think that was warranted for me. That was obviously well out of position and to have to chip out and make a 12 footer for par to kind of keep the momentum going was awesome.”

Karl Vilips' distance off the tee is proving an advantage this week in Thailand. PHOTO: Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

A bogey at the 13th immediately followed his par escape, but Crowe got the shot back at the 15th before another birdie at the penultimate hole took him to nine-under and within reach of the halfway lead.

It wasn’t to be however when his drive went left and found the vast water hazard. A mid-range par putt just going past the edge of the hole.

Despite dropping back alongside Vilips, Crowe plans on utilising his experience of winning the Master of the Amateurs, NSW Amateur and NSW Open earlier this year as he chases a third Australian win at the AAC and spots at The Masters and The Open.

“I know four rounds is a lot of golf. I think if I am just limiting my errors and I think it is fair to say I have almost forgotten how to do it (win) but the confidence this week is certainly a lot more up there. I do know how to get it done, I’ve just got to go out there and play my game,” he said.

Whereas Crowe felt he was getting plenty out of his game, Vilips continues to believe that his scoring hasn’t reflected the level of his play.

Mixing two bogeys with seven birdies, the US-based Aussie suggested a low score was just around the corner.

"The confidence this week is certainly a lot more up there. I do know how to get it done, I’ve just got to go out there and play my game." - Harrison Crowe.

“I made less mistakes than yesterday, it felt like. Put it in play a little more and just couldn’t really get any putts to go in. I took advantage of the par-5s, exactly what I should do,” he told this publication.

“I feel like I am playing really well and a few good rolls and a couple more feet on my putts away from a really good number.”

As one of the longer players in the field, Vilips has found some rarely hit spots on the fairways over the first two days. And with the course to play longer over the weekend, the Stanford University player believes it will be more of an advantage.

“I think especially on those holes that are downwind, you can take a lot off the dogleg. I think there are a few of those par-5s I can really send it up there, today on 7 I was silly far up, but I think hitting it in the fairway into the wind has been the thing for me this week,” he said. “I have a low ball off the tee that’s working. If they move us back on a lot of these holes, like 18, that’s an advantage because I can get a long way up there.”

The other four Australians to survive the cut line will have to find some birdies early on Saturday if they are to have chance of being in the mix come Sunday afternoon.

Joshua Greer sits at four-under, while Connor McKinney is one shot further back, with Hayden Hopewell and Jeffrey Guan both signing for rounds of 70 to be on two-under.

Lukas Michel’s week is over after his three-over total saw him fall three shots beyond the required even par mark.