Day one digest - WGC-HSBC Champions

Everything you need to know from day one at Sheshan International Golf Club.

Li lights up his homeland, Perez makes himself comfortable and Oosthuizen plays chase the ace on an eventful day one of the WGC-HSBC Champions.

Here is everything you need to know from Thursday at Sheshan International Golf Club.

Li leaps clear

Li Haotong came to prominence when he finished in the top ten at this event in 2015 and a star was born the following year as he won the Volvo China Open. That star became a superstar as he held off Rory McIlroy to win the Dubai Desert Classic in 2018 but a World Golf Championships victory on home soil would be something else again. Li will take a one shot lead into day two after an opening 64. "Today is a pretty good start and good beginning," he said. "Obviously it would be a great joy for Chinese golfers and Chinese golf fans to have a Chinese player winning a WGC-HSBC Champions here in China but for the next three days, anything could happen."

King Louis produces perfection

When you swing it as sweetly as Louis Oosthuizen, you're likely to produce special shots, and the 2010 Open Champion made a very special one on Thursday. His tee shot from 197 yards on he sixth took a bounce at the front of the green and then rolled for around 50 feet before finding the bottom of the cup for the 28th hole-in-one of the 2019 Race to Dubai. "I hit it a little thinner than I wanted to but it actually worked out perfect because it had some nice roll on the ball," he said. "As it pitched, Poults was calling it the whole time. I saw it go away but I wasn't sure if it was in because I didn't hear any reaction from the people up there. Then obviously a few guys started applauding."

Perez on the rise

Victor Perez was taking it all in as he enjoyed his first taste of a World Golf Championships event but showed he was a force to be reckoned with in Shanghai. The Frenchman claimed a maiden European Tour victory at last month's Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and is teeing it up at Sheshan International Golf Club by virtue of being in the top 30 on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex. It has been a rapid rise in his rookie season for the European Challenge Tour graduate but he is taking it all in his stride, and an opening 65 containing two eagles left him just one off the lead after 18 holes in Shanghai. "It's my first WGC, very excited just to start with," he said. "I think being around here and going down the fairway with some of the best players in the world, being that first year on Tour is quite amazing. It's really enjoyable and obviously you just try to make the most out of it as well."

A flock of big birds

Perez was not the only player making multiple eagles on Thursday, Justin Rose did it too and Benjamin Hebert became the first player ever to make back-to-back eagles at this event on the second and third. Just enjoy these.

Lefty gonna Lefty

Phil Mickelson has been one of the best and most entertaining players in the world for a long, long time.If the World Number 50 can maintain or improve on that position by the end of November, he will have been inside the top 50 for 26 straight years. He turns 50 next summer but shows no sign of surrendering his swashbuckling style and who would want him to? Never change, Phil.