On a day when the wind died down, New South
Welshman Taylor Cooper took advantage. And even though his final three holes
were somewhat disappointing, the native of Gosford was more than happy with his
5-under 67 that gives him a two-shot lead after the first round of the Putian
Open.

He leads China’s Xuewei Luo by two shots and
Guowu Zhou by three in this, the 11th event of the Ping An Bank China Tour –
PGA TOUR China Series season.

"I’ve been hitting the ball really well,
actually. It’s just the putter that’s been a bit of a struggle," said Cooper,
whose best finish in nine previous starts was a tie for 12th at the
season-opening Henan Open in May. He is 65th on the Order of Merit.

In his last three starts, Cooper withdrew from
the Ping An Bank Open and then missed the cut last week in Hong Kong. "The
putter has just showed up only here and there this season."

It did today, as the 24-year-old rolled in five
birdie putts and chipped in for a sixth.

Sitting at 6-under heading to the 16th hole,
Cooper could have gone even lower, but he missed an eight-foot birdie putt
there and then had a good look at birdie from 19 feet on No. 17 that didn’t
fall.

On 18, Cooper three-putted from 30 feet,
missing his comebacker for par after running his first putt past. It was his
lone bogey of the day.

Then again, he chipped in for an unlikely
birdie on No. 14, from in front of the sand, hitting his shot with his right
foot in the bunker.

For the day, Cooper only hit his driver once—on
the sixth—instead relying, as he said, "on a lot of 3-irons and 4-woods" from
off the tee.

"I hit it close with my wedges when I had wedge
chances, and I just holed the putts," Cooper added.