Round 1 Highlights | 2024 Volvo China Open

Romain Langasque and Sebastian Söderberg share the lead after Round 1 in China.

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For the first time since 2019, the Volvo China Open is returning to the DP World Tour schedule at Hidden Grace Golf Club in Shenzhen. Jordan Smith will be teeing it up in China this week. He’s on track to qualify for next month’s U.S. PGA Championship by virtue of his world ranking and performances to start the season. He played well to claim T2 at the Jonsson Workwear Open last month and solo fourth at the Dubai Invitational at the start of the year. He also finished 5T at this week’s venue in Shenzhen in 2019. Tom McKibbin will also be in the field this week. He’s claimed six top-20s so far this season – including a fourth-place finish at the Qatar Masters in February. Sebastian Söderberg will also fancy his chances this week. After claiming his second consecutive runner-up finish on the Asian Swing in Japan, the Swede climbed to eighth on the season-long Race to Dubai Rankings. He also claimed top-10s in Mauritius, Ras Al Khaimah and Bahrain which has put him in prime position to play in next month’s PGA Championship. Others to look out for are Dylan Frittelli, Yannik Paul and Alexander Levy.

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hello and welcome to the newly named but
familiar hidden Grace Golf Club the S of
the 2019 Edition amongst others of the
Volvo China Ren conditions might require
us to keep our fingers crossed at times
this week so far so good for the golf
course it’s stood up to the test of the
rain the last fortnite although it might
be a little bit of a longer test than
usual yes demanding track this week got
to drive it pretty well and Le out in 33
shots so clearly feeling something out
there this morning morning early start
for a number of players another
beautiful shot into
[Applause]
eight back to back birdes 78 make that
three in a row to finish howong Le hing
31 all adding up with no Drop shots at
all to round of 64 nice nice
start Mr Green at the par 38 playing 175
yards today but when you’re having a
good time and things are going well you
up and down it yes often the case
knocks it in another great score card
look at that 63 blows early on a
Thursday
morning it’s got roochi on the bag seen
Kyle for a while good
caddy not a great start one over after
five but that’ll make a difference we’ll
give him that yes I think even you and I
could roll that one in without even
cleaning the ball look here at Gordon
brixie second shot to the 9th that was a
little easier Richard wasn’t it
yes oh
yes brilliant shot
there yeah front flag 10 on so bunker
shouldn’t be in play just a soft wedge
for
Dylan another one almost Stone dead
we’ve seen a few this morning at
6 now brixie he will be hugely
disappointed if he doesn’t roll this one
in oh yes well done gave it a nice firm
wrap went for the eagle good start
though good try for 64 but opens up with
65 106 a little bit of an uphill lie
here for soda brick not a great angle
coming more over the bunker
that’s why he’s eighth on the race to
Dubai quite an elevation change down
this
hill Oh could it be two in a row for Al
Vera here’s third green side at the par
five
I think he’s going to try and massage a
99 he’s gone full P that’s a
wedge It’s Quickly into the swing after
that preset below the hole birdie pu
coming it worked for Alexander Levy
and nicely done straight down the pipe
from where he was standing for Xander
Lombard and a good look coming to that
back left flag
today and they’re not they’re not
getting full value out of the uh ball
right now due to the fact it’s pretty
humid here it’s low altitude
has he overdone this
left just a fraction about 8T Alli
beautiful shot sign of a good play who’s
playing
well 141 for soda bgs just a wedge
little bit of helping Breeze
again so solid at the top of the back
swing lovely width to the go swing
doesn’t have to rely on his hands
Soderberg it just two
turns there’s a trunk of a tree in the
canopy behind the uh green perfect
Target to play a draw off
of Simply Sensational once more from
Soderberg Woo’s gallery has been growing
every single hle they couple deep up
here left of the green at the eighth
they would love a good woo
shot no wind at the moment just playing
by
numbers as he missed it
left now he
hasn’t right Lumbard he’ll be taking
dead aim here he’s been hitting his
irons very well
yes we’ll do the
jokes down the
hill three great
shots yeah for his birdie at the seventh
trying to get back to
level down towards the hole from
here try and makes it up
yeah at the
eighth playing 175 yards for the pin
that’ll come down off the slope that’s
not far away that keep an eye on this
one oh how could you pull it from that
distance you called that too early
Richard i’ got rather excited little man
shot the
hatch this is David L did you get to
play much with David Laur or was yes no
yeah yeah I did yeah absolutely reminds
me very much of Paul Lor obviously had a
bit of guidance from Paul
been all the way back at
11 that’s nicely judge chippy thei Paul
L think name was chippy yeah even that
little pitching action was a bit like
Paul L very much
so well I don’t know I don’t know he
planning to play this like a bunker shot
but as you can see very tight and yeah
he played it like a bunker
shot Master Class what a touch he of was
that fairy
slightly well I’m not a fan of the extra
wide stance from there but if he holds
it I will
be how would you play that Anthony once
your I would well my stance would be a
lot narrower than that I have to be
honest it’s such an UPS slope that to
really be
so good with the control through that
thick grass
that was beautifully judged though looks
like forelli is going to get away with
a a par head I’ll see him out in level
par
36 par five found the Fairway once more
for soda BG can get there with an iron
it’s a tricky pin tricky green so
looking to favor the right half that is
perfect just keeps impressing the swe
that’s about a foot from going Stone
dead you got to fly it right around the
hole to get
close could be aggressive with this
one beautiful shot straight at
it but Soderberg he’s got a lot of long
grass in his back swing and then his uh
descent into the ball anything inside of
15 ft would be phenomenal
phenomenal it
is seriously good from
Soderberg yeah in the air this wouldn’t
have felt like a bird4 but you back
against it just continues to
impress mat swab really solid player
looking like he was going to win before
he left but he’s back now for a bit
buo em90 for a ho in one here 189
yards straight out out for
camura there’s that right pin again at
14 for
Lombard this his
number you I think the flag kept that
out then do you yeah to 16
cuso
189 the flag today just on that little
front right portion of the
green another good shot he’s having a
very good season as well
cuso go on in you go go on
in Middle stump middle stump
totally to the 18th and one of the Amur
four amateurs playing here this week
this is
ma his second shot level
huh oh oh yes go on oh enjoy the walk
enjoy that walk up the 18th they’ll like
that have a head to the
last second shot for David law having a
solid
day it’s a great start to the week but
much improved he rolls that in zberg
would love to win that car right behind
him for a hole in one
yeah can he get back on the bike Z and
get one in tight he’s gone for it and he
can fine shot best we’ve
seen yes it sounds like Lloyd Jefferson
and go can I help your tools lister’s
here surprised you haven’t called them
boxy I thought that was dropping for
yeah
off the slope for
woo the pin certainly made it slightly
easier but off a side slope like that a
stunner for asan that was a nice view
should just move a little bit left to
right as he looks at
it oh dear me what
a more than a horseshoe that Christ
brilliant and he has matched the 63 from
Roman
longas and yet again we find Sebastian
Soderberg leading on the DP World
Tour and the Mark is 63 belongs on day
one to Roman longas and Sebastian Le
Soderberg here in shenzen
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