Moa Folke of Sweden surged to the top of the leaderboard at Mission Hills Golf Club with a flawless opening round of 67, carding four birdies and a spectacular eagle at the 18th. Her six-under-par effort puts her one clear of a tightly packed chasing group in the season finale of the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) PIF Global Series.
Laura Fuenfstueck of Germany – who claimed her maiden LET title at the PIF London Championship in August – sits just one shot behind Folke, alongside Utama and Hewson. A further 11 players are tightly grouped at four-under-par, two strokes off the pace.
Folke has been building momentum throughout the season, highlighted by a top five finish at the Ford Women’s NSW Open in March and a T11 result at the PIF London Championship in August. Still in search of her first LET title, the Swede is encouraged by the current state of her game.
“It was a really fun day out there,” she said. “I hit the ball really well, and I feel like I’ve been trending in the right direction over the last few tournaments – getting closer and closer. So yeah, it was great to see it all come together today.
“I feel like I’ve been improving throughout the season. I started off well, then had a bit of a patch where things were up and down, but I’ve been making a lot of cuts, so overall it’s been quite consistent.”
Folke was also in a similar position at the Jabra Ladies Open in May where she was leading the way on seven-under-par two shots ahead of her closest competitor however was unable to keep the consistency going, eventually finishing in T17.
“That was definitely a learning experience (The Jabra Ladies Open). I think the key now is just to keep going. I’m excited – it’s a fun week, and having my parents here watching makes it even more special.”
Germany’s Laura Fuenfstueck has embraced the PIF Global Series, which features a unique team format and is organised by Golf Saudi – an initiative that continues to create more opportunities for women to compete at the highest level around the world.
Shei said: “It’s great fun, especially if you get a good team for the first two days – it really helps. But at the end of the day, it’s still an individual event, and I want to do well in those too. We’ve had a lot of events this year, so there have been plenty of chances to earn points and prize money. Hopefully, that means a more relaxed Christmas! But overall, I’m just happy to be here and looking forward to seeing how the next two days go.”
The 30-year-old is the team captain of Team Fuenfstueck and currently holds the joint lead in the team competition which also consists of Team Arwefjall captained by Sweden’s Kajsa Arwefjall.
There were also two holes-in-one on the day – Thailand’s Supamas Sangchan aced the fifth hole, while Norway’s Dorthea Forbrigd struck her perfect shot at the eighth.
Golf Saudi continues to reshape the landscape of women’s golf, championing inclusivity and excellence through its global initiatives. By bringing the PIF Global Series to China, the organisation is not only expanding access to elite-level competition in new markets but also reinforcing its commitment to growing the women’s game worldwide. With a blend of top-tier professional events and grassroots development, Golf Saudi is helping to position Saudi Arabia and its partners as key players in the future of international golf, tourism, and investment.
Round Two will tee off at 7:45 a.m. local time, with the team champions set to be crowned at the end of the day – everything still to play for at Mission Hills.
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