South Korean pair shares early lead at China Ladies Open

South Koreans Lee Rye-jung and Choi Hye-jung held it together through wet and cool conditions during the opening round of the Hyundai China Ladies Open Friday as both players shot four-under 68 to share a one-stroke lead at the country's eighth national championship.

Six players were one shot back at Qing Yuan Lion Lake Country Club in Guangdong province with 69, including South Koreans Kim Hye-youn, Jang Ha-na, Kim Ha-neul, Bae Hee-kyung, Lee Myung-hwan and 16-year-old Chinese amateur Wu Sha.

China's Feng Shanshan, the world No. 6 and top-ranked player in the field for the 400,000-US-dollar tournament, a co-sanctioned event between the China LPGA Tour and the LPGA Tour of South Korea, was two shots off the pace after a 70, tied with South Korean Choi Yoo-lim.

Teeing off early in the morning, Lee Rye-jung got off to a solid start in making a 27-foot putt for birdie on her first hole. She then dropped a three-footer at the next to quickly get to two-under. Her only dropped shot came late in her round at the par-three 16th hole before she bounced back to birdie the next.

Choi took the outright lead at five-under when she birdied the par-five 12th hole, but recorded her only bogey of the day, a six on the par-five 15th hole, and could only play par golf back to the clubhouse.

The 29-year-old Seoul native who played on the US LPGA Tour for five years, said she was happy to be in contention for her first win since 2011.

"The rain helped me today because it softened the hard greens," said the 10-year pro. "I will keep my strategy for the next two days as everything worked really well today."

China's No. 1 Feng got off to a poor start from her opening hole, the 10th, when she bogeyed, one of four dropped strokes she would register on the back nine. She then turned it around on the shorter front nine, her back nine, with five birdies to put herself in contention.

"I knew this golf course was tough. I shot three-over out, it was not a great start but I didn't panic. I was happy to make five birdies in and have two-under par at the end," said the 24-year-old, a two-time winner on the US LPGA Tour this year.

"I've been close several times at this event. I finished second, third and other places. I was just a couple of shots behind, which is disappointing. Each time I came here, I felt a lot pressure because everyone wished that I can win my national championship. This time I decided not to put pressure on myself and tried to have fun and relax."

The opening day of the championship saw two hole-in-ones. South Korean Lee Myung-hwa registered an ace at the 156-yard sixth hole with a 7-iron, while Thailand's Saraporn Chamchoi pulled off her perfect shot at the 172-yard 16th hole using a hybrid club to win a Hyundai Veloster car.