Veterans share early lead at CLPGA Zhuhai
Liu Wenbo in action during the first round of the Guowei Centre Plaza Zhuhai Challenge in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province, on Thursday.
Liu Wenbo and Pan Yanhong set the early pace at the Guowei Centre Plaza Zhuhai Challenge on Thursday as each opened with a round of 4-under-par 68 to share a one-shot lead in Guangdong Province.
Zhang Yue, runner-up at last week's CTBC Zhuhai Challenge, was one stroke back at the 500,000-yuan (US$78,100) China LPGA Tour event, tied for third with 15-year-old amateur Zeng Liqi on 69. Zhao Zhimeng (71) was three shots off the pace, tied with Wang Xinying.
The tournament is being played on a 6,162-yard composite course made up the A and B courses at Orient Zhuhai Golf Club.
Pan, the CLPGA great with five career wins, took advantage of the soft conditions following a brief rainstorm in the morning to post five birdies in her first eight holes after starting on the Orient Zhuhai back nine – the B course.
After making the turn at 5-under 31, the former power-lifter could not build on her strong start, stumbling to two bogeys and a lone birdie on her back nine (the front nine A course) in the search for her first title since 2015.
"I started with two nice birdies from 10 to 12 feet. Overall, I had a good rhythm before the turn but my partners got into trouble over some holes and lagged behind a lot. The referee asked us to speed up and I missed a three-footer for a birdie on the second hole. At the third hole, I had a bad tee-shot," said Pan, who recently lost 20 kilograms after an intensive four-month training period.
Pan Yanhong shared the first-round lead with Liu Wenbo.
Liu, the current Order of Merit leader with four top-three finishes, didn't card her first birdie until the eighth hole. The Beijing native, a two-time winner on the CLPGA Tour, put herself in contention with a strong back nine that featured four birdies and a lone bogey five at the 363-yard 15th hole.
"It's a solid round with only one ball in the water. We all know that you should have a steady game out there. I was consistent from tee to green and made some putts. Hopefully I can continue such a game."
Zeng, the Jiangxi teenager who was equal third last week, continued to impress against pro fields. Her round featured four birdies, including the last two holes, and a bogey at the 15th.
"The iron game was not good over the first 10 holes. I wasn't able to hit close to the pins and left myself with many putts over 20 feet. I made two of them," said the Nanchang native.
"I hit it a little better on the back nine, but you know the wind picked up which affected my putting a little. But it is a good round. It's nice to break 70."
