SUZHOU, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Li Dongmei set the early pace at the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge on Wednesday as the Chongqing veteran carded an opening round four-under 68 for a one-stroke lead at the CLPG Tour event.

Playing under hot and sunny conditions at Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Golf Club, a course on an island on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China's Sui Xiang, Xue Zixuan, Zhao Yihan, Wang Zixuan, Shi Yuli and defending champion Zhou Shiyuan, the country's top female amateur, were all one stroke off the pace on 69.

Pang Runzhi, Li Gengshan and Thailand's Pakin Kawinpakorn were two strokes back on 68 at the RMB500,000 (70,386 U.S. dollars) tournament.

Starting her day from the 10th hole, Li, 31, put together a strong finish over her back nine, the front nine, to register three straight birdies from the sixth hole, her 16th hole, to grab her first lead of the season. Her round included six birdies and two bogeys in the hunt for her first win since turning pro in 2019.

"Overall, I felt pretty good about my performance today, especially with the putter. I made three birdies on par threes, which gave me a lot of confidence. Recently, I've been adjusting my putting by using the 'aim line' technique more often. That really helped me to get a better sense of longer putts," said Li, who has never finished higher than fourth at a CLPG Tour event.

"For the next rounds, I'll probably go practice my irons since I felt a bit tired late in the round and my swing wasn't as sharp as before. I don't really feel pressured. I just want to focus on doing my best."

Zhou, who will be part of the China squad competing at next month's Espirito Santo Trophy, the world amateur team golf championship, in Singapore, put herself in the mix for her fourth CLPG Tour title with a round featuring five birdies and two bogeys.

"I felt my round today was pretty average. I made some mistakes I shouldn't have, but also holed a few putts I didn't expect, so overall it was just okay. If I had to pick one part I was satisfied with, it would be my irons on the front nine," said the 15-year-old from Chongqing, 26th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

"The wind was much stronger today compared to practice rounds, so I had to be extra careful. On some holes, I played a little carelessly, which led to mistakes. I didn't really think about being aggressive early on because this tournament is my defending title. My focus was just on doing what I needed to do, one shot at a time. I felt that I stuck to my process well on every shot."

Wang, winner of the Golfjoy Women's Open in March, carded four birdies and a bogey five at her last hole, the 337-yard ninth, after starting her day on the back nine.

"The weather is way hotter than last year, and with the wind coming up today, I felt my energy drain more quickly. I've been trying to manage that by drinking sports drinks and having snacks every three holes or so," said the 18-year-old Beijing native, equal fourth on the CLPG Tour Order of Merit.

"For me, every tournament is played with the goal of winning, otherwise there's no point of it. But the key is always focusing on details. As long as I take care of the details, I believe I can play well," she added.

Amateur Cui Jinghan recorded a hole-in-one at the 160-yard second hole with a seven-iron as the Beijing teenager struggled through a round featuring eight bogeys and a double bogey on the way to an 80. ■