SHANGHAI: Frenchman Alexander Levy continued his love affair with China’s golf courses by kicking off the European Tour’s Final Series with a seven-under-par 65 to lead after the first round of the BMW Masters.

Levy, who won the Tour’s China Open in April, fired seven birdies in a bogey-free round to lead by one at Lake Malaran from Argentine Emiliano Grillo, Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium and another Frenchman, Romain Wattel.

Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell also went bogey free, firing a five-under 67 to sit in fifth at the first event of the European Tour’s lucrative final four of the season, which offer more than $30 million in combined prize money.

But they were all short of the 24-year-old Levy, who showed some hot form on a cool, damp morning in China.

Starting on the 10th, Levy opened with four birdies before getting to five-under by sending a pinpoint iron at the 200 yard par three 17th to six feet to make the turn in 31.

World No.1 Rory McIlroy is well clear at the top of the standings but he is skipping this week’s event and the following World Golf Championship HSBC Champions tournament, also in China, next week.

Second-placed Sergio Garcia is also absent this week, opting to compete at the PGA Tour’s event in Malaysia, while Henrik Stenson, third on the list, is also missing from the 78-man field.

Welshman Jamie Donaldson, fourth in the Race to Dubai, made a good start in Shanghai with a four-under 68 to sit in a group of six players, including victorious Ryder Cup-winning team mate Thomas Bjorn, who is fifth in the money race.

Li Hao-tong and Hu Mu led the local charge with the Chinese pair firing 69s to sit tied 12th alongside multiple major winner Ernie Els and Italian Francesco Molinari.

The Italian’s brother Eduardo, one back at two-under, produced the shot of the day with a hole-in-one at the 212 yard fourth.

Park, Feng tied for lead

China’s Feng Shanshan and South Korean Park In-bee each fired an eight-under-par 64 to share the lead after the opening round of the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taipei on Thursday.

Park, who took over the top spot in the Rolex Rankings earlier this week, hit all 14 fairways and needed only 26 putts to complete her round with eight birdies for the $2 million tournament at the par-72 Miramar Golf Country Club.

“I hit the ball really solid all day, and on the back nine, everything seemed to drop,” Park said. “I can’t remember the last time I putted like this. It’s been a really good putting day, so I’m really happy about that.” Feng also played a bogey-free round, scoring six birdies and an eagle to hold a two-shot advantage over a group of four players.

“I started the round, kind of like a smooth start. And then made a birdie and then I made an eagle on the sixth hole, which really got it started. Then after that, I was just making putts and my iron game was just as good as normal,” she said.

Taiwanese amateur Cheng Ssu-chia had an impressive start to tie in the third place with South Korean Ryu So-Yeon, Denmark’s Line Vedel and Japan’s Haru Nomura with six-under-par 66.

The 17-year-old stayed ahead other Taiwanese players competing in the tournament, including former world number one Tseng Yani, who tied in the 15th place after carding a 69.

“The score I shot today is much better than I expected. I think it’s mostly because I tried not to over-think too much,” said Cheng, who scored six birdies, including three on the last four holes, in a bogey-free round.

Defending champion Suzann Pettersen of Norway posted a 70 to tie in 21st place with 13 players.