Bubba Watson quickly shrugged off the disappointment of relinquishing his Masters crown with a battling 2-under par 70 Thursday to lie within striking distance of the lead at the Shenzhen International.
American Watson admitted he struggled early in his opening round at the European Tour event after a rapid trip halfway across the world from Augusta, where he had finished 1-over and 19 shots adrift of champion Jordan Spieth on Sunday.
However, he fought back superbly on the closing stretch after his day had threatened to fall apart after back-to-back bogeys dropped him to 1-over after 11 holes.
Watson sunk three birdies in a row from the fifth, his 14th hole after starting on the 10th, as the putting stroke that went awry at the season’s first major returned with a vengeance in Shenzhen.
“It was a slow start, you know, getting used to the greens – the speed of them,” said Watson at the southern Chinese city’s Genzon Golf Club.
“Coming from the Masters to here is a little different. It’s not really about confidence, it’s about feeling the greens out.
“I three-putted one hole and some of my chips didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. But made three (birdies) in a row there to help me to two-under so it’s nice.”
Huang Wenyi cheered the local fans by leading the field on 6-under. He is a stroke ahead of four players on 67 – South Korea’s An Byeong-hun, who aced the 226-yard eighth hole, American Peter Uihlein, Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Chile’s Felipe Aguilar.
China’s Huang showed a welcome return to form after a slumping 2014 in which he made only one cut in seven appearances on the European Tour with a sparkling 66 that included eight birdies.
Huang admitted it was his best round since a closing 65 at the European Tour’s BMW International Open in Germany, way back in June 2013.
“Last year I played very bad but this is a new year,” he said. “I have changed my swing a little and yesterday I changed my driver and it was very good. I like the new driver. I also like the course and the greens.”
Globe-trotting Watson, who triumphed at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, “Asia’s Major”, on his last visit to China in November, had a warning for those ahead of him – there would be no Masters hangover and he was definitely in Shenzhen to win.
“More practice and more feel and it’s going to get better,” he said ominously.
“The whole course sets up good for me and hit my driver quite nicely today off the tee. It set up some holes, so hopefully tomorrow I’ll make a few more putts.
“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t motivated to win.”
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