Staff WriterThe opening round of the Hainan Open at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club had a touch of theatre about it, as Portugal’s Pedro Figueiredo and Germany’s Jan Schneider both fired sparkling seven-under-par 65s to take a one-stroke lead heading into day two.
The pair’s performances edged them ahead of American Shawn Lu, who had set the early clubhouse target and briefly held the top spot on a breezy day in southern China.
Figueiredo Finds His Rhythm Early
Pedro Figueiredo started on the tenth tee and wasted no time in making a statement. Three under through his opening five holes, he then went on a birdie blitz — four in a five-hole stretch from the 17th — that put him firmly in control of his round.
Another birdie arrived on the seventh before his only blemish of the day on the eighth, but the 34-year-old walked off pleased with both his scorecard and his composure.
“It’s a really good round,” he said. “Seven under out here is always good. The day wasn’t easy with the wind, but I like those conditions. It suits my game playing in the wind so I was happy overall.
“I was consistent. I hit most of the greens and fairways which meant bogeys weren’t in play today, which was great.”
Currently sitting 44th on the season-long Road to Mallorca Rankings, Figueiredo knows exactly what’s at stake. With only the top 45 projected to qualify for the Rolex Grand Final supported by The R&A after next week’s Hangzhou Open, the Portuguese pro is aiming to keep his foot on the pedal.
“I’ve been in this situation a few times, so I am feeling more comfortable with it,” he added. “I’ve just got to stick to the process.
“I haven’t thought too much about the Rankings but I am just doing everything I can to shoot a good score each day and if that puts me in the top 45, great, and the top 20, even better.”
Schneider’s Sharp Start
Jan Schneider, one of 48 China Tour players in the field this week, matched Figueiredo’s total with a round built on precision and a touch of flair. The 27-year-old racked up six birdies, an eagle, and just a single bogey to grab a share of the lead.
Schneider finished inside the top 20 at the Hainan Open last year, and after another strong start, he’s eyeing a similar push over the weekend.
“Today was a good day,” he said. “It was a bit windy out there, but I really enjoyed it and I made a couple of longer putts which really helped.
“I struck the ball well and gave myself a lot of chances. I was kind of trouble free, but I did have some nice par saves on the back nine, so keeping that part of my round clean was nice.
“I will just go out there and do the same thing. My expectations are low but with a good start I want to keep playing well and we will go shot by shot and see what happens.”
Crowded Leaderboard Behind the Pair
Spaniard Rocco Repetto Taylor, South African Wilco Nienaber, and Italian Stefano Mazzoli all posted five-under rounds to share fourth place, sitting one ahead of a congested group tied for seventh.
With the course showing some teeth in the wind, low scoring wasn’t handed out freely — making those 65s all the more impressive.
Round Two Looms
The second round of the Hainan Open tees off at 7:05 a.m. local time. Schneider will head out at 7:10 a.m. alongside England’s Alfie Plant and Taipei’s Yi-Tseng Huang, while Figueiredo gets underway at 8:35 a.m. with Germany’s Hurly Long and China’s Han Xue.
The leaderboard is tight, the wind is likely to stick around, and with Road to Mallorca points on the line, expect the intensity to climb as the weekend approaches.
