Guangdong native Qiu Zhifeng bolstered² the Chinese presence at the national championship when he shot a 1-under 70 to sit two shots off the pace. Liang, who won his first big tournament in Singapore last month, was eight shots back in a group with China golf pioneer Zhang Lianwei and Shanghai-based Li Chao after a round of 76.

After opening with three bogeys³, the 26-year-old Huang settled down and found his groove⁴ when he carded four consecutive⁵ birdies starting from the eighth hole on Silport's East Course.

The Sichuan native closed his round with a birdie, his seventh of the day, against four dropped shots in extremely windy conditions at the Jiangsu Province course.

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

The 2001 China Amateur champion said he was really happy with his round after such a rocky start.

"I was not really steady in the first few holes. I saw the results from the morning session players and it was not good at all," said the fifth-year pro⁶. "I then targeted to finish one over, so I am very happy to finish at three under."

Huang, who finished fourth on the China Tour Order of Merit last year, said he had been inspired by compatriot Liang's victory in Singapore where the Guangdong native won in a first-hole playoff.

"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 struggled early as he was two-over through three holes and then had a double-bogey five on the tricky⁷ par-three sixth peninsula hole. After picking up birdies on the eighth and 10th, he wiped out his gains with bogeys on the 13th and 14th holes.

Other mainland scores saw Chinese amateur Han Ren in a group with Liao Guiming and Xiao Zhijin at 2-over 74 and Wu Kangchun at 75. Qi Zengfa shot 76, while Zheng Shaoguang and Wu Weihuang were both at 7-over 78.

Ye Jianfeng, the 15-year-old amateur from Shenzhen who won the final qualifying tournament in Beijing last week, struggled to an 11-over 82