Home hero Huang hits the high notes in Shenzhen, China
FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
He may not have picked up a golf club until the age of 22, but China’s Huang Wen-yi seems determined to make up for lost time after grabbing the lead on the first day of the inaugural Shenzhen International. The home favourite opened with a sparkling round of 66 at Genzon Golf Club to hold a one shot lead over Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Korea’s Byeong Hun An and America’s Peter Uihlein. Huang worked as a labourer and then a caddie before falling in love with the game, and his decision to pursue a career in golf looks a shrewd one after he carded eight birdies against two bogeys on a sun-kissed day in Shenzhen. While Huang produced the round of the day, Challenge Tour graduate An enjoyed the shot of the day when he aced the par three eighth. Two-time Masters Champion Bubba Watson was part of a group on two under par, the American carding a hat-trick of gains from the fifth. Key quotes Huang “Last year I didn’t play very well at all. But this year I have changed my swing, and yesterday I changed to a new driver, which I like very much. I like this course, the green speed is very good and I holed a lot of putts. Aguilar “I hit the ball quite well today. I didn’t drop any shots, which is always good on this course. “You are going to miss a couple of shots out here, which I did, but I made a pretty good recovery afterwards so I’m pleased.” Peter Uihlein “It’s nice to finish with three birdies in a row and four in the last five holes. “I played in Thailand and had to withdraw with food poisoning, played in Puerto Rico and then I got a wrist injury so had to take some time off. Then I switched coaches, so I’ve had a strange six weeks or so. “But I feel like I did a lot of things really, really well today, and even though I felt like I went back to some of my old habits, I’m pleased with five under, for sure.” Bubba Watson “It was a slow start, but that was mainly because it took time to get used to the speed of the greens. Coming from Augusta to here is a little different, and the grain on the greens changes everything. “I three-putted one hole, and some of my chips didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. But slowly I got into the round, and managed to make three birdies in a row on my back nine to get me to two under, so that was a nice finish. Round One Scores 66 H Wen-Yi (Chn) 67 P Uihlein  (USA) , F Aguilar (Chi) , K Aphibarnrat (Tha) , B An (SKor) , 68 D Fichardt (RSA) , 69 G Mulroy (RSA) , M Crespi  (Ita) , R Fisher (Eng) , R Wattel  (Fra) , A Wall (Eng) , M Ford (Eng) , R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) , M Manassero (Ita) , A Sullivan (Eng) , S Kapur (Ind) , 70 B Watson (USA) , B Dredge (Wal), R Finch  (Eng) , G Havret  (Fra) , F Zhi-Peng (Chn) , B Hebert  (Fra) , J Garcia Pinto (Esp) , D Horsey (Eng) , W Wei-Huang (Chn) , T Fleetwood  (Eng) , S Hend (Aus) , G Stal  (Fra) , Y Yi-Nong (Chn) , 71 T Fisher Jnr (RSA) , M Tullo (Chi) , L Hao-Tong (Chn) , J Kruger (RSA) , J Quesne  (Fra) , P Edberg (Swe) , M Korhonen (Fin) , O Yangzheng (Chn) , A Levy (Fra) , R Jacquelin (Fra) , D Brooks (Eng) , R Bland (Eng) , D Howell (Eng) , E Grillo (Arg) , M Madsen  (Den) , Y Yechun (Chn) , 72 Z Hui-Lin (Chn) , A Quiros  (Esp) , A Cañizares  (Esp) , J Lando Casanova  (Fra) , Z Xin-Jun (Chn) , R Paratore (Ita) , J Campillo (Esp) , Z Jia (Chn) , J Carlsson (Swe) , L Bjerregaard  (Den) , M Fraser (Aus) , R Ramsay  (Sco) , T Lewis (Eng) , Y Yang (SKor) , T Hatton (Eng) , G Bourdy (Fra) , M Kieffer (Ger) , 73 N Colsaerts  (Bel) , H Ren (Chn) , M Nixon (Eng) , H Ze-Yu (Chn) , C Yi (Chn) , L Yan-Wei (Chn) , K Broberg (Swe) , M Carlsson  (Swe) , E Pepperell (Eng) , M Schneider (Ger) , H Mu (Chn) , S Kjeldsen (Den) , N Fasth (Swe) , D McGrane (Irl) , L Xin-Yang (Chn) , W Ormsby (Aus) , A Noren  (Swe) , O Fisher  (Eng) , P Larrazábal (Esp) , M Lampert (Ger) , D Lipsky (USA) , 74 K Phelan (Irl) , E Espana (Fra) , P Lawrie (Irl) , S Dong (Chn) , M Lundberg (Swe) , D Drysdale (Sco) , O Farr (Wal) , M Hoey  (Nir) , R McEvoy  (Eng) , J Van Zyl (RSA) , L Gui-Ming (Chn) , S Barr (Aus) , A Johnston (Eng) , 75 Z Lianwei (Chn) , C Lee (Sco) , C Zi-Hao (Chn) , L Ding-Feng (Chn) , Z Xiongyi (Chn) , D Ze-Cheng (Chn) , L Wen-Chong (Chn) , J Morrison  (Eng) , G Bhullar (Ind) , E Molinari  (Ita) , B Evans  (Eng) , C Wood  (Eng) , S Hutsby  (Eng) , J Cheng (Chn) , W Yichen (Chn) , 76 H Ming-Jie (Chn) , C Ding-Gen (Chn) , S Hansen (Den) , A Dodt (Aus) , A Otaegui  (Esp) , J Edfors (Swe) , H Zeming (Chn) , G Storm  (Eng) , K Wei (Chn) 77 P Waring  (Eng), J Scrivener (Aus) , W Xu (Chn) , M Foster (Eng) , P Hanson (Swe), R Karlsson (Swe) , O Wilson (Eng) , 78 X Zhi (Chn) , Y Bin (Chn) , J Palmer (Eng) , Z Jin (Chn) , T Pieters  (Bel) , L Hao-Yuan (Chn) , H Shao-Cai (Chn) , B Ning (Chn) , W Kang-Chun (Chn) 79 B Lein (USA) , S Jamieson  (Sco) , C Hai-Meng (Chn) , C Xiao-Ma (Chn) , 80 L Fangyi (Chn) , Y Tian (Chn) , X Bowen (Chn) , W Ming-Hao (Chn) , G Tian-Lang (Chn) , 81 Y Hao (Chn) , 82 Z Guo-Wu (Chn) , C Weirong (Chn) , 83 C Doak (Sco) , 84 W Wei (Chn) , X Se (Chn) , D Chen Xiao (Chn) , W Dongyu (Chn) , 86 J Da-Xing (Chn) ,  ** J Jeong (Kor) , H Yong-Le (Chn)