Alejandro del Rey fires 61 to lead Volvo China Open as teenager Zhou shines

Zhou, who only turned 18 earlier this month, thrilled the home crowds as he got to nine under through 12 holes and, showing a composure beyond his years, looked certain to take the first-round lead at Enhance Anting Golf Club.

But as he parred his final six holes to card a bogey-free 62, Del Rey matched his front-nine 29 after starting on the tenth to storm to ten under and lead the way.

With no shortage of rain in the build-up and preferred lies in place, it was a low scoring day in Shanghai, with South African Shaun Norris at eight under, one clear of Austrian Bernd Wiesberger.

Spaniard del Rey was making his first start of the Asian Swing but showed no signs of rust as he carded an eagle, nine birdies and a bogey.

“It was great,” he said. “I definitely didn’t see it coming at the beginning of the round, it’s a tough course and you have to play and I guess we got a little bit lucky with the rain yesterday, it helped.

“It was a very nice round, everything felt like it was flowing pretty nicely and I had one of those low ones come out.”

Norris was bogey-free in his round, making eight birdies, with Wiesberger recording seven gains, the highlight being a chip-in on the ninth.

Home favourite Bowen Chai was then at six under and will return to complete his final hole on Friday as one of six players who were still on course when darkness brought play to an end.

Australian Kuangyu Chen holed out for a spectacular eagle on the par-four seventh and he was at five under alongside 2024 champion Adrian Otaegui, Canadian Aaron Cockerill and England's Andrew Johnston.