BEIJING — Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson made a late charge up the leaderboard to get within four shots of surprise leader, China's Huang Wen-yi, after Thursday's opening round of the European Tour's Shenzhen International.
Playing for the first time since presenting Jordan Spieth with his green jacket at Augusta National, Watson reeled off three birdies in a row on his back nine to sign for a two-under-par 70 at the Genzon Golf Club.
That left the American tied for 17th, four strokes behind 34-year-old Huang, who is ranked 1,189th in the world, but quickly making up ground.
A former laborer who never picked up a golf club until he was 22, Huang won last month's Mainland China Qualifying Tournament by a whopping seven strokes and has continued his good form.
His round of 66 Thursday featured eight birdies and left him with a one stroke lead over American Peter Uihlein, Chile's Felipe Aguilar, Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat and South Korea's An Byeong-hun.
Watson, who won last year's WGC-HSBC Championship in Shanghai in a playoff, initially struggled with his putter in his return to China but got things going late.
Kim leads Korean charge in Hawaii
In-kyung Kim started last and finished first Wednesday in the first round of the Lotte Championship. Kim birdied her final three holes and four of the last five for a 7-under 65 and a two-stroke lead.
Playing in the last group of the day off the 10th tee, Kim had eight birdies and one bogey in wind gusting to 25 mph at Ko Olina Golf Club. The South Korean player won the last of her three LPGA Tour titles in 2010.
From 190 yards, she aimed 20 feet right and hit her 5-wood into the wind. The ball stopped 12 feet from the hole. She could see well enough to make the putt and shoot the same score she had in the final round two years ago.
South Korean players held the first five spots on the leaderboard. Na Yeon Choi, Inbee Park and rookie Sei Young Kim shot 67, and Jenny Shin was fifth after a 68.
Choi had four birdies on her second nine to take the lead in the morning wave. Park birdied four of her last six to catch her, slam-dunking a 45-foot putt on the final hole.
Choi, Sei Young Kim and Park have all won this year. Choi won the season-opening Coates Golf Championship in Florida for her eighth LPGA title, Sei Young Kim took the Pure Silk Bahamas LPGA Classic, and Park won the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore.
Founders Cup winner Hyo Joo Kim, Kia Classic champion Cristie Kerr, Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer were in the nine-player group at 69.
Hawaii's Michelle Wie, the defending champion, got to 3 under on the 15th, but bogeyed the next hole and finished at 70. Wie hit the flag with her approach shot on the final hole, but left her 8-foot birdie putt short. — Agencies
