Feng takes early lead at Shanghai Classic
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Feng Simin proved her game was no joke on April Fool's Day as the 15-year-old amateur fired a three-under-par 69 to take the first-round lead of the 50,000-U.S.-dollar Shanghai Classic on Friday, one stroke ahead of Japan's Mina Nakayama.
Chinese-Taipei's Yao Hsuan-yu was two off the pace after a 71 in the opening tournament of the China LPGA Tour's third season at Orient (Shanghai) Sports and Country Club. Thais Tirinan Yoopan, Porani Chutichai and Tanaporn Kongkiakrai were at even par with China's Ye Li Ying.
Starting her round from the 10th hole, the Florida-based Feng, a China national team member, carded four birdies against a lone bogey to maintain her hot hand of late. Last week, she had a near-miss when she lost in a playoff in the first leg of the China amateur golf tournament series in Dongguan, Guangdong province.
"The experience last week gave me more confidence. It makes me know myself better. Today's performance gave me absolute encouragement," said the Beijing native. "I'm not expecting too much at this stage. As an amateur, I hope to give it my best shot. It might be impossible to win a championship on a professional tour, as I have told myself."
Nakayama, a 20-year-old from Kobe, was among the last groups to start in the 120-player field and took advantage of the sunny and calm conditions. She reeled off three consecutive birdies starting from the third hole to grab a share of the lead at three-under with Feng.
The par-fives on the back nine, however, proved her undoing as she registered bogey sixes on 11th and 15th holes, along with a birdie two on the par-three 14th.
"My feeling is so-so because after nine was a little bit disappointing, but hopefully tomorrow is going to be better," said Nakayama who heard about the tournament through some Thai players. "My driver and putting was good today. Tomorrow, I'm just going to focus on golf and play my game. I want to win for Japan."
Notable first-round scores included Yang Taoli, the 2009 CLPGA Tour Order of Merit winner, at 73 and defending champion Patcharajutar Kongkraphan of Thailand at 74. Lu Hsiao-chuan, the double gold medal winner at the 1998 Asian Games also had 74, while Wu Yun-jye, a four-time winner in Japan, struggled to a 79.
The third year of the CLPGA Tour features 18 events culminating in the US$250,000 Hyundai China Ladies Open this December in Xiamen, Fujian province.
