Andy DevaneyA round of 65 is usually enough to leave a golfer feeling rather pleased with themselves. At the Aramco China Championship on Thursday, however, it was merely the price of admission to a three-way share of the lead.
England’s Annabell Fuller and Charlotte Heath both opened with eight-under-par 65s at Mission Hills China, only to find that home favourite Liqi Zeng had produced exactly the same score.
And if the leading trio were hoping for a little breathing room, Chinese amateur Yujie Liu had other ideas. Her seven-under opening round left her alone in fourth, just one stroke off the pace.
It makes for an intriguing start to the $2 million tournament, with two English contenders facing a strong challenge from the home players on the World Cup Course in Shenzhen.
Three Players Set the Pace at Mission Hills
The 2026 Aramco China Championship is part of the Golf Saudi-backed PIF Global Series and is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET) and China LPGA Tour (CLPGA).
Played over 72 holes across four days, the individual stroke play event has attracted an international field competing for the prize fund and valuable Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings points.
Thursday’s scoring suggested there were opportunities to be taken, and Fuller, Heath and Zeng made the most of them.
For Zeng, playing on home soil appeared to suit her game particularly well. She credited her putting and comfort with the course’s approach shots for helping her reach the top of the leaderboard.
But perhaps the most eye-catching performance came from Liu.
The Chinese amateur finished just one stroke behind the leaders, putting herself firmly in contention against an established professional field.
“My front nine was on fire. Every approach shot and every single shot was perfect. I had an incredible round, and I loved the other players in my group. Cass [Alexander] is a wonderful player, and I’m super honoured to get the opportunity to play with her today. Overall, it was super fun,” said Liu.
That is quite a way to introduce yourself to the business end of an international tournament.
For Fuller and Heath, meanwhile, the challenge is straightforward enough: keep producing the scoring that took them to the top on Thursday, while dealing with a home contingent that has already shown it has no intention of making life easy.
Women’s Golf Investment Takes Centre Stage
While the players were setting the early pace on the course, Mission Hills was also hosting discussions about the future of investment in women’s sport.
The Elevated Green Sports Infrastructure & Capital Forum, powered by the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Institute, brought together representatives from sport, business and investment to examine opportunities in emerging markets.
Tenniel Chu, Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, used the event to highlight the commercial appeal of major international sporting occasions.
He pointed to the tournament’s reported representation of 32 countries and broadcasts reaching more than 100 countries as examples of how golf can connect audiences and commercial partners across borders.
The discussions also addressed a question that extends well beyond this week’s leaderboard: where should the next wave of investment in women’s sport actually go?
During a session examining future sports investment, Leo Chu, Chief Marketing Officer of Sports Illustrated China, argued that infrastructure deserves greater attention.
“there’s a huge amount of attention behind women’s sports, but I think it’s really the investment potential that lies in the infrastructure for it… You need to put on a new lens. You can’t apply that traditional sports lens to it.”
The argument was that attracting attention is only part of the job. Developing facilities, competitive opportunities and pathways for younger athletes could be equally important to women’s sport’s longer-term commercial prospects.
The FII Institute also launched The New Geography of Sports Capital, produced in partnership with Silverbacks Holdings. The report examines the role of sovereign investment, digital audiences and developing domestic leagues in creating commercial opportunities across growth markets.
An English Challenge, with China Close Behind
For all the investment discussions taking place away from the fairways, Friday’s second round will bring the focus squarely back to the golf.
Fuller and Heath have given England two players at the top of the leaderboard, but Zeng’s opening performance has ensured there will be a strong Chinese presence alongside them.
And Liu, just one shot behind, has already demonstrated that amateur status need not prevent a player from challenging the professionals.
There are still 54 holes to play, and with four players separated by a single stroke, the early leaderboard offers little room for complacency.
For the English pair, Thursday provided an excellent start. Friday will begin to reveal just how much that opening 65 is worth.
