For the first time since the circuit began a year ago, an amateur stands at the top of the Omega China Tour leader board.

20-year old Alex Wu Ashun shot a one-under-par 71 to be part of a three-way tie after a testing first round of the Shandong Leg at the Tiger Beach Golf Links near Qingdao.

Not that Wu is any ordinary amateur. Part of the China team preparing for the Asian Games in Doha later this year, he has already announced his presence with a tenth-place finish at the Omega China Tour's Hainan Leg and a golden performance at the All-China Games last month.

Wu, won gold medals in both the individual and team events for Fujian province, recovered from two early bogies to reach the turn one-under-par. He then played remarkably consistently on the back nine, carding only one more bogey on the tougher half of the course, all on a day so windy that the long par-four tenth hole was barely reachable in two.

Afterwards, Wu played tribute to his mysterious benefactor – a Hong Kong businesswoman who name he refused to reveal – who introduced him to the game of golf just four years ago.

"She's a very low profile woman. Her ancestors are from my home town Zhangzhou and she just thinks she should do something for her home town. That's why she organized the young players to start learning golf," Wu said.

"She tries so hard to find us coaches and English teacher and even someone to teach us manners and etiquette. That's how we started, not just learning golf, but also learning how to behave like a professional player. I seldom see her, because she is so busy flying back and forth from Hong Kong to our home town, but she will try all the way to at least meet us once a month. Sometimes if we fly abroad to play she will buy us our tickets through Hong Kong so we can meet with her."

Tied with Wu on one-under par are Yuan Hao and Huang Mingjie. Yuan, a 26-year-old from Guangdong, sandwiched three birdies and an eagles with a birdie on the first and a double-bogey on the ninth before dropping a couple of shots towards the end of his round. His display was in sharp contrast to the third-round 86 in strong winds that ruined his chance of victory at last month's Zhuhai Leg.

"Throughout the tour, the skill level of the players has, to a certain extent, improved. A lot of players agree with this view of the tour," he said.

Another of the so-called "third generation" of Chinese golfers, 25-year-old Huang finished with four birdies in his final five holes to set the early pace, having arguably faced the worst of a punchy and unpredictably gusty wind.

"Earlier in the day my performance wasn't great. It was better later in the day," said the Sichuan native. "The wind was very strong and the ball was moving around on the green. In the afternoon the wind calmed a little. Hitting a seventy-one in these conditions makes me very happy."

Also happy was Tiger Beach professional Liu Anda who having fired a two-over-par 74 accurately predicted that 71 would be the best score of the day.

"I played to the best of my ability. I am very satisfied with my performance already," he said.

"Because the wind was starting and stopping, maybe when you start the swing the wind was very strong, but by the time you hit the ball there would be no wind at all. When and how you chose your club, or interpreted the wind was very important."

The pre-event favourites however are not out of contention. Current Omega Order of Merit leader and Zhuhai Leg winner Zhang Lianwei and 2005 champion Li Chao both shot three-over-par 75s, the latter three-putting twice in the closing holes and threatening drastic changes.

"I'm going to switch my five wood and my putter," Li said.

"I'm the head coach of myself. It's just like the World Cup. If you go out there and can't score then you get substituted. That's what I'm going to do with my putter.

Leading First Round scores

(Par 72)

71 – Huang Mingjie, Wu Ashun (A), Yuan Hao

73 – Zheng Shaoguang

74 – Liu Anda, Liu Qiang

75 – Huang Yonghuan, Li Chao, Liu Anlin, Wang Hongbing, Zhang Lianwei, Li Yong

76 – Chen Dongsheng, Gu Cuilin, Liu Guojie, Liu Junfeng, Song Zhiqiang, Wu Weihuang

77 – Deng Yuchao, Qi Zengfa, Qing Sanyong, Shang Lei, Son Qingli, Wu Xujun, Yang Xiaodong
 
(Tim Maitland of worldsportgroup.com via CRI June 16, 2006)