Teenager Yanhan Zhou was delighted to make a good impression on home soil in the first round of the 2026 Hainan Classic presented by MAEXTRO.
Zhou, 17, had six birdies and an eagle in an eventful 68, also featuring four dropped shots, on the Vintage Course at Mission Hills.
That left him within four shots of the first-round lead held by American Jordan Gumberg, alongside Zihao Jin in a top-ten spot and two shots behind Wenyi Ding in a strong home showing.
"It's very good to play in China, my home," said Zhou, a seven-time winner on the China Tour last season.
"My friends came here to watch me which made me more confident and comfortable. I think that's very good when you're playing at home.
Zhou's caddie this week is his father, former China Tour professional Xunshu Zhou.
"I think it's very good," said Zhou Jr. "He's my friend, he's my coach and also he's my caddie.
"I think it's very good that he's my coach and if I have any problems, he can just solve them. I think that's very good."
Ding, also playing the Vintage Course where the afternoon tee times were delayed by ten minutes, had two eagles in his 66, to go with three birdies and just a solitary bogey.
He said: "It was pretty good. Before today, in the practice round, I didn’t feel very good.
"Today, on the driving range, I got more time because of the tee time delay, so I was doing a bit more practice. I found some good feelings about an hour in, so I got a really good performance.
"The Vintage Course is not that easy. You’ve got four par-fives, where you can go for the birdie or even the eagle, but some holes the greens were tricky and the pin position was hard, so you can’t miss on the wrong hole.
"I just want to improve my tee shots a little, compared to today. My three wood was not really good – I got three or four hooks, so I just want to keep the three wood okay. Tomorrow should be fine.
"It’s really good [to play in China]. I have a lot of friends, a lot of people and family. You just feel excited."
