Alexander Levy fired a stunning nine under par 63 to take the first-round lead of the Volvo China Open at Topwin Golf and Country Club.
Here, we take a look at what some of his nearest challengers had to say after their opening rounds.
Peter Hanson (67, -5)
"I’ve had reasonable success here last year so I like the course and the game is getting better. I had a game plan last year of trying to be aggressive and I think with the severeness of the greens it’s good to be that way because if you play away from flags, when you screw up a little bit into the green you leave yourself hard putts up and over crest and coming down. So I tried to be aggressive and I think it showed today on the scorecard. We saw some low scores last year and I think we are going to see some low scores this week, especially with the weather being the way it is, so I’m looking forward to the week and it’s always good to get off to a strong start."
Raphaël Jacquelin (67, -5)
"I’m very pleased with 67, especially with these conditions and the way I have played in Morocco and last week. You know with golf sometimes, even if you don’t feel very well you can find something out on the course and you hole your putts and make a good score so I’m pleased with that. I am going to try to do exactly the same, I didn’t expect too much because the confidence is not really there but I hope I can get more confidence tomorrow and perhaps on the weekend, so I will try my best."
Dean Burmester (67, -5)
"I played really nicely, I just played the par fives poorly today. The rest of the game was the best I’ve had it since I won in Tshwane so I am excited to see what I can do. I hit a lot of quality shots, I wasn’t chipping often today - I think I only missed one green today - so in windy conditions like that it takes the pressure off the rest of the game. I had a disappointing Sunday last week unfortunately but, you know, a new Thursday today and a new week, new course so I’m excited."
George Coetzee (67, -5)
"I had a lot of good ones out there today, last week as well, but nice to see the work is paying off. The game feels good, I’m enjoying it and I feel like I’m doing what I’ve got to do to shoot good scores."
Li Haotong (69, -3)
"It was quite good. When I started I felt a lot of pressure and have had a little bit of a cold, so a good result for me. I am looking forward to the weekend, I at least need to make the cut first, but I’m feeling better than last week."
