Unheralded Huang Mingjie surprised home fans when he grabbed a joint first-round lead with Raphael Jacquelin of France at the Volvo China Open yesterday.

Huang, 26, fired a three-under-par 68 featuring seven birdies on a low-scoring day at Shanghai Silport Golf Club.

Raphael Jacquelin of France checks his lie on the 15th hole during the China Open golf tournament in Shanghai April 12, 2007. [Reuters]Thanks to some steady putting, American Gary Rusnak was in lone third position a stroke back while Australia's Unho Park and Adam Blyth, Kiwi Richard Lee and England's Yasin Ali were tied fourth, two strokes off the pace.

Also sharing fourth place were China's Qiu Zhifeng, Ireland's Graeme McDowell, South African Richard Sterne, Dutchman Robert Jan Derksen, Chris Hanell and Michael Jonzon of Sweden and Denmark's Thomas Bjorn.

"It is my first time leading a tournament. I shall keep my pace and hope to play it safe," said Huang, who is making his third China Open appearance.

Huang did not have the best of starts with bogeys on the first three holes. He recovered with a birdie on the fifth before dropping another shot on the sixth hole. He bounced back with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes before firing four more birdies on the back nine.

"I was not really steady in the first few holes. I saw the results from the morning session and it was not good at all. I then targeted finishing one over, so I am very happy to finish at three under," said Huang, who turned professional in 2003. The Sichuan-born talent was ranked fourth on the domestic circuit last season and was the 2001 China Amateur Open winner.

He said compatriot Liang Wenchong's breakthrough victory at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters last month has provided inspiration for young golfers in China.

"His success increased my confidence in believing that I can also win a tournament. I would like to follow in the footsteps of Liang and Zhang Lianwei."

Liang and Zhang struggled on the opening day of the $2 million event after shooting matching 76s for tied 97th place.

Jacquelin, a European Tour winner, adjusted well to the gusting winds as he breezed through the front nine with three birdies. Two more birdies against an equal number of bogeys on his inward nine steered him to the top of the leaderboard alongside Huang.

"I am very pleased with the result. I worked on the putting green and it feels pretty good. I missed two short putts at the end, but on a day like this, it is hard to play without any mistakes," said the 32-year-old Frenchman, who finished runner-up in Portugal two weeks ago.

"I am okay in the wind. I can manage the ball and hit it low so it is all right for me. The wind is not as strong today as it was in Portugal, The wind is a bit more across here. If the wind gets any stronger the greens will get very difficult. They are superb at the moment but will dry out. I hope it stays like this," he added.

With five birdies against a bogey and a double bogey, American Rusnak believes that his performance in the opening round was a reflection of his hard work on the putting green the past two weeks.

"I've been working on my putting really hard and it paid off today. I putted poorly this year and it's good to see one good putting round. I've been near the top after the first round many times, it's just the start, nothing more," said Rusnak, who is looking for his first Asian Tour triumph.

"I had 23 putts today. I started on the back nine with six one-putt in a row. On the par three sixth hole, I almost made a hole in one but I hit the stick," he added.

Joint-third-placed Park admitted that the conditions were more challenging this year with the thick rough, tricky greens coupled with the strong wind. "The key is to keep it on the fairway, which I hope to do tomorrow," he added