ZHUHAI, June 10-- Aretha Pan set the early pace at the CLPGA Zhuhai Heritage with a bogey-free round as the Malaysian opened with a three-under 69 for one stroke lead at the weather-delayed tournament in Guangdong province. Chinese amateurs Wang Xinying and Dong Linyu were equal second with compatriot Xiao Qifeng after carding rounds of two-under 70 over the Zhuhai Golden Gulf layout. Shanghai native Li Xiya (71) was two shots off the pace in fifth at the RMB200,000 China LPGA Tour event. With a strong wind blowing over the Colin Montgomerie-designed course from early morning, play was stopped for rain at 7.30am. When play resumed at 8.50am it was stopped again at 8.57am for lightning. The tournament restarted at 9.28am. Starting her round on the Golden Gulf back nine, the 23-year-old Pan made an impressive birdie two on her third hole (the 152-yard 12th) when she sank a 36-foot downhill putt in the stormy conditions. She then picked up further strokes on her twelfth and sixteenth holes (the third and seventh holes) to take the early lead. “My woods and irons were very bad today. I put my ball in the bunkers at least six times and only made eight greens,” lamented Pan, a fifth-year pro who has registered one top-10 finish in 40 starts on the CLPGA Tour. “Thanks to my good chipping and putting I had a bogey-free round. I only used 23 putts, a personal best for me. My putting had been bad for a long time but I changed my putting stroke a month ago.” |