Hai Phong, Vietnam: Gu Liangliang defied strong winds to help China make a flying start in the 30th edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship.

With a mature display of course management, the broad-shouldered 15-year-old fired a near flawless three-under-par 69 at Vinpearl Hai Phong on what is the first occasion since its inception in 1963 that the Nomura Cup has been staged in Vietnam.

It was the only bogey-free round of the day, helping Gu into a share of top spot individually with Australian Declan O’Donovan and leading China into a one-stroke lead in the team standings.

“It was not easy conditions so I’m happy with how I played,” said Gu, one of China’s brightest teenage golfing talents, who was a member of the International Team at last month’s Junior Presidents Cup in Canada.

“I struggled a little with my irons, but drove the ball well and chipped and putted well, too,” said Gu, who raced out of the blocks with birdies at the second, sixth and seventh.

Despite swirling breezes that blew many of the 57 participants in the 19-nation event off course, Gu held firm, making pars at each of his final 11 holes.

On a tightly-packed leaderboard in the team event in which the best two daily scores in each three-man team are counted, just two strokes separate the top eight countries.

Bidding to win the Nomura Cup for the first time, the China trio of Gu, Wang Yipu and Wang Haoyi (both of whom returned 73s) leads the way with an aggregate of two-under 142.

Second place on 143 is shared by New Zealand, Japan and hosts Vietnam, for whom Nguyen Anh Minh, the highest-rated player in the field at 84th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, posted a 71.

In joint fifth on even-par 144 are Chinese Taipei, Australia and Hong Kong China with India alone in eighth on 145.

Korea and Thailand are tied for ninth on 147. Korean An Seong-hyeon, the reigning R&A Junior Boys’ champion and APGC Junior Boys’ runner-up, raced into the individual lead after chip-in eagles at the two par-fives on the front nine, but played the final 11 holes in five-over to sign for a 74.

In the 19-nation event, Korea and Thailand are followed in the standings by the United Arab Emirates (148), Malaysia and Singapore (149), the Philippines (152), Pakistan (158), Saudi Arabia (166), Myanmar (167), Mongolia (172) and Guam (173).

For much of the day, O’Donovan, 743rd in the WAGR, led the way, charging to five-under through 13 holes. However, the 21-year-old Sydneysider, making his international debut for Australia, dropped shots at 16 and 18.

Playing alongside O’Donovan in the first flight of the day were Anh Minh and New Zealand’s Joshua Bai.

“We were stoked to be drawn together,” said Bai, whose friendship with Anh Minh has blossomed since they first crossed paths at last year’s Bonallack Trophy in Spain, where they were members of the APGC team that defeated the European Golf Association in the Ryder Cup-style event.

While Ahn Minh was frustrated to sign for a 71 after seeing his par-putt lip out at 17 and a presentable birdie opportunity slide by the hole at 18, he was consoled by the fact that he was one of only nine players to finish the opening round in red figures, signifying a below-par score.

Despite battling jet-lag and fatigue after a hectic recent schedule, Bai ended the day in joint third with Thai Teerawut Boonseeor, the APGC Junior Boys’ champion, and Jonathan Selvaraj of the United Arab Emirates on two-under-70.

“It was tricky with the winds,” said Bai, whose highlight came at the 618-yard 16th where he struck a 300-yard approach into thick rough behind the green from where he produced a miraculous up-and-down for birdie.

Full Team Scores

142 – China
143 – Japan, New Zealand, Vietnam
144 – Australia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China
145 – India
147 – Korea, Thailand
148 – United Arab Emirates
149 – Malaysia, Singapore
152 – Philippines
158 – Pakistan
166 – Saudi Arabia
167 – Myanmar
172 – Mongolia
173 – Guam

Leading Individual Scores

69 – Gu Liangliang (China); Declan O’Donovan (Australia)
70 – Joshua Bai (New Zealand); Jonathan Selvaraj (United Arab Emirates); Teerawut Boonseeor (Thailand)
71 – Nguyen Anh Minh (Vietnam); Kartik Singh (India); Masayuki Yamashita (Japan); Anson Yeo (Malaysia)
72 – Ho Anh Huy (Vietnam); Hsieh Cheng-wei (Chinese Taipei); Chen Yu-chin (Chinese Taipei); Isaac Lee (Hong Kong China); Wang Ngai Shen (Hong Kong China); Taishi Moto (Japan)
73 – Justin Kuk (Singapore); Wang Haoyi (China); Wang Yipu (China); Robby Turnbull (New Zealand); Baek Seung-hwa (Korea); Takumi Kobayashi (Japan)