Three Set Pace in Volvo China Open


David Howell, Bradley Dredge and Michael Hendry each carded 4-under 68s to share the 18-hole lead in the Volvo China Open. The European Tour event got underway Thursday at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club in Shanghai.

Howell, a 39-year-old Englishman, posted five birdies and a bogey, Welshman Dredge four birdies and New Zealand's Hendry four birdies as well.

Trailing by one are Aussie Marcus Fraser and two Frenchmen, Julien Quesne and Alexander Levy. Levy is the tournament's defending champion.

Howell, a five-time winner on the European Tour whose last title came at the 2013 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, was pleased with his start. "I'm delighted, it's a really different test this week," he told the European Tour's website. "We knew (the course) was firm in practice, but it was hard to work out how difficult it was going to be. The scoring showed people are finding it tricky.

"I drove the ball beautifully today, really found my rhythm on the range and took it out onto the course so I kept the ball in play well and did a lot of things right. There was a decent breeze out there, but really it's the firmness of the greens that is making it difficult for everyone. The greens are in great condition and you've really got to think your way round."

The 41-year-old Dredge, a two-time winner in search of his first title since the 2006 Omega European Masters, echoed Howell's view that the course played tough. "The greens were really firm so the big thing was if you were hitting fairways you had chances.

"It was never easy getting the ball close to the hole with slopes on the greens and the firmness; it was quite tricky round there. This afternoon the wind is going to get up and it will be firmer still, so I'd be surprised if four under was beaten."

Hendry, a 35-year-old from Auckland, hasn't won yet in Europe but is fresh off a victory in last week's Token Homemate Cup on the Japan Golf Tour and continued his recent fine play Thursday in China. "It makes the game a little easier I think," he said. "It's always nice to play tournaments when you're in good form."

Opening with 70s were Oliver Wilson, Benjamin Hebert, Johan Carlsson, Craig Lee, Shiv Kapur, Thomas Pieters, Ilhwan Park and Peter Uihlein of the U.S.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2015/tournamentid=2015030/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y.