Alexander Levy maintained his excellent record in China as he recorded an opening 63 to take the first-round lead at the Volvo China Open.
Since winning this event in 2014, the Frenchman has not missed a cut in China in seven appearances, recording five further top 25 finishes and a top 30 here at Topwin Golf and Country Club last season.
He was 11 under over the weekend last time out in Shenzhen and carried that momentum to Beijing, making nine birdies in a bogey-free effort to sit a shot ahead of Pablo Larrazábal.
The Spaniard also brought some momentum from Genzon Golf Club, taking his bogey-free run to 65 holes in a 64 to sit three shots ahead of South African duo Dean Burmester and George Coetzee, Swede Peter Hanson, Frenchman Raphaël Jacquelin and England’s James Morrison.
Levy is looking to become the first man to win the Volvo China Open twice and take his tally of European Tour wins to four, the same as Larrazábal.
“I played great,” he said. “I hit 18 greens today and had some good putts for birdie, two or three long putts that helped, but I played well last week and I am enjoying being back here and at this golf course.
“I like the golf courses in China, the last one and this one, but the golf is different day after day and I will try my best this week to do like what I did today.”
Larrazábal jumped into the early lead, making birdies on the tenth, 11th, 13th and 15th to turn in 32, while Levy – who also started on the back nine – had gains on the 13th, 15th and 17th.
Levy then found a groove on the front nine, holing from eight feet on the second, 30 on the third and then putting his approach to three feet on the next to open up a two-shot lead.
Larrazábal was also in the mood, however, and he holed a 45-foot right-to-lefter on the third to cut the gap to one and set the tone for the rest of the morning as the pair went birdie for birdie.
Levy made it four in a row from close range on the fifth, but Larrazábal hit straight back on the same hole. The 33-year-old was in a tie for the lead after a birdie on the seventh, but Levy hit back on the eighth before a closing gain saw the 26-year-old come home in 30 and set the target.
Larrazábal hit back again on the eighth, but could not finish with a birdie of his own and signed for an excellent 64.
“I am very happy – you know one of those solid rounds,” he said.
“I tried to two-putt and I made one putt so that was a bonus. I was happy with two putts and it’s one of those bonuses that a good day in the office gives you.”
Morrison took advantage of the calm early conditions to post a bogey-free effort, while Hanson had a roller-coaster round with eight birdies and three bogeys.
The wind got up in the afternoon, but Coetzee and Jacquelin both recorded just a single bogey, with Burmester recovering from a double on the eighth with seven birdies.
Spaniard Jorge Campillo, home favourite Yi Cao, Dutchman Joost Luiten and South Africa’s Jaco Van Zyl were then five shots off the lead.
Defending champion Li Haotong was in a large group of players at three under that also included 2010 winner YE Yang, and last week’s victor at the Shenzhen International, Bernd Wiesberger.
Englishman Anthony Wall – making his 500th European Tour start this week – recorded a one under par 71.
American Ryan Dillon fired a five over par 77, but was left celebrating the 14th hole-in-one of the season as he holed a seven iron from 180 yards on the 13th.
