China’s Ding Wenyi makes early running in Macau, injured Watson out of Link Hong Kong Open

Ding Wenyi said his game had been “a little off” over the past several weeks, not that you would have known it at the SJM Macau Open on Thursday.

The Chinese 20-year-old shot a seven-under-par 63 in the first round, ending a day that began on only three hours sleep in a share for the lead alongside Thailand’s Gunn Charoenkul.

Ding has been playing most of his golf on the DP World Tour in Europe this year, and his appearance at Macau Golf and Country Club was his first start of the season on the Asian Tour.

An eagle on the par-5 18th, where he hit his approach to 20ft, was the highlight of a round that included just a solitary bogey at eight, his penultimate hole of the day.

“Great to be back here,” said Ding, who missed the cut at last week’s Spanish Open. “I always play better in my home country. I didn’t do really well this year. The young generation over there [Europe] are very strong and the courses are hard.

“I was a little bit off after I’ve been to Europe, but I will keep my card.”