Niklas Lemke is one of five players in a share of the lead after a low-scoring opening day of the Hainan Open at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club.
Swede Lemke was joined at the top by South African pair Wilco Nienaber and JC Ritchie, Singapore’s Gregory Foo and Lloyd Jefferson Go from the Philippines after they each signed for identical eight under par rounds of 64 after round one.
Lemke was the first to set the early clubhouse lead after mixing seven birdies with one eagle and a solitary bogey, and he was pleased to get off to a positive start in Hainan.
“I have been hitting the ball really well the last few weeks,” he said. “It was strange as I didn’t feel as comfortable as I should be but it was still good.
“It’s definitely going to be tough to go out there and try to get another eight-under, but it’s good as I felt comfortable out there.”
Lemke started at the tenth and birdied two of his opening four holes. His only dropped shot of the day came on 17 but that was quickly wiped out with another birdie on 18.
After making the turn in 34, Lemke charged ahead with an eagle-three on the second hole and swiftly followed that by racking up three consecutive birdies on holes three, four and five before picking up another shot on the eighth.
The 30-year-old currently sits 50th in the Road to Mallorca Rankings, and with the leading 45 players set to tee it up in the Rolex Challenge Tour Grand Final supported by The R&A in three weeks’ time, he knows the importance of two good weeks in China.
“I’m just trying to play as good as I can every day and get myself into the Rolex Grand Final,” he added. “Then we’ll see what happens after that.”
South African Nienaber, who moved into a share of the lead after carding eight birdies without a bogey, was also pleased with his first round at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club as he targets a first promotion to the DP World Tour.
“It’s always nice to start the tournament without making a bogey,” he said. “I played really well today and I only missed a few shots.
“The next three weeks are obviously very important to me. I do not want to think about it too much but I will just take it day by day and hopefully have more rounds like this.”
Finn Oliver Lindell, Swede Per Längfors and Irishman Gary Hurley sit one stroke off the lead in sixth place on seven under par, with seven players one shot further back in ninth, including Italian Gregorio de Leo and home favourite Zihao Jin from China.
Conor Purcell was 16th after a 67 with Jonathan Caldwell 44th after a 70.
Round two gets under way at 7:10am local time with Lemke teeing off alongside Chuan-Iin Jian from China and Norwegian Kristoffer Reitan at 11:40am.