Wellington professional Gareth Paddison has shot a four-under par 68 at the China Open on the European Tour to be in a share of 15th place after round one.
Paddison made a hot start with birdies in his opening three holes at the Binhai Lake Golf Club in Tianjin.
He added further birdies on the sixth and 12th before dropping a shot at the 14th.
Also making a solid start was North Harbour professional Michael Hendry.
The 32-year-old, who is playing in his first event since winning the New Zealand PGA Pro-Am at The Hills, opened with a two-under par 70 to be in a share of 44th place.
Hendry made three birdies and a bogey in his round and trails leader England's Matthew Baldwin by five shots after the Briton shot a bogey-free seven-under 65.
Michael Long is the final Kiwi in the field and is off the pace after a two-over par 74 left him tied 125th.
