Weiwei Zhang used an eagle and a birdie on the final two holes to card a 6-under 66 and move into a three-way tie for the lead at the Blue Bay LPGA in Hainan, China, on Thursday.
Joining her at the top of the leaderboard were her Chinese compatriot, Mary Liu, and tour rookie Youmin Hwang of South Korea. Both women played a bogey-free round at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course.
China’s Zining An, American Auston Kim and Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea finished with rounds of 5-under 67 at Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Course to sit one shot back and tied for fourth.
Seven more players are tied for seventh place after rounds of 68.
Liu, in her first LPGA Tour start of the season, played a steady round, scattering six birdies.
“My winter training went very well,” she said. “This year, I have a clearer idea of what my priorities are. My coach also advised me to balance work and rest. I even went home for the Chinese New Year, which was really nice.”
And that positive attitude carried over to the first round.
“I really enjoyed myself out there,” she said. “I worked well with my caddie, and we maintained a good rhythm throughout the day.”
Zhang was delighted with her round after navigating the final two holes – the eagle and a birdie.
“It was a really tricky lie for the chip,” she said about the eagle. “I hit it a bit heavy, but the landing spot was perfect, and it rolled straight into the hole.”
And on the final hole, it was an 11-yard chip that led to the birdie.
“The last two holes were particularly exciting,” she said. “That really got me energized.”
Kim has some ground to make up. She was in contention last week in Singapore and finished in a tie for second.
“I feel like mentally, I’m on top of things very often, more often. Put in a lot of hard work over the offseason and really cool to see it pay off.
“Overall my game is feeling OK. I feel like last week, I didn’t really have my A-game and today I didn’t really have my A-game, but my short game and putting is really saving me. I hit my irons better today, too, so more chances.”
Defending champion Rio Takeda of Japan is five strokes back. She is among 17 women to record a round of 71.
