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Peng Yanxuan, a 16-year-old from Chongqing, opened with 73 in the Huitai Open. When she teed off for her second round at 7:33 a.m. on Friday, she had no high expectations and made no changes. Yet she produced a remarkable 63, nine-under-par, to rocket to the top of the leaderboard.
Peng Yanxuan
Ren Yijia, 15 days older than Peng, teed off in the afternoon. She realized she needed a 67, five-under-par, to catch her good friend. The Dalian native did exactly that. They finished tied at the top at 136, eight-under-par.
Chen Hsuan of Chinese Taipei birdied two of the last three holes for a 68 to move into third place, two shots back.
Liu Hui, a Canadian-Chinese amateur playing on a Huitai sponsor exemption, carded 69 to sit in fourth place at 139, five-under-par.
Peng Yanxuan
Peng's previous best finish on the China LPGA Tour was a tie for ninth at the 2024 Chongqing Open. This week, she and Thailand's Wade entered the field through Monday qualifying. On her opening hole, Peng sank a 20-foot birdie putt from the side of the slope. She considered that birdie impressive and important, as it opened up her round and set the momentum for her charge.
Starting with an up-and-down birdie on the third, Peng birdied three in a row and scored on three par-5s starting from the seventh. At the 12th, a par-4, her precise iron shot landed the ball within 10 feet for a birdie. Then at the 17th, a par-3, she drained an 18-foot putt for birdie, setting a new personal best.
"I'd give myself 120 points for my performance. I seized every birdie opportunity today and made no mistakes. It was a very satisfying round," Peng said. "Although I shot 73 yesterday and 63 today, I didn't make any adjustments. I just played my game and executed my strategy."
Ren Yijia
When Peng finished her round at noon, Ren was just starting her second. The Dalian professional rookie didn't take long to close the gap. She birdied four of the front-nine holes for a 32. However, after the turn, she missed the green at the 12th and dropped a shot.
At the 15th, a par-5, she made a 12-foot birdie putt. Then at the final hole, one of the course's devil holes, she beautifully attacked to 12 feet and birdied again to tie Peng.
"When I woke up this morning and saw Peng had completed nine holes at 6-under, I was surprised and happy for her," Ren said. "I calculated that I needed to shoot 5-under to catch her. I'm glad I did it. I played well today with a high greens-in-regulation rate. I only missed one green and lost one shot."
Ren Yijia
On Saturday, Ren and Peng will tee off together in the final group. Peng, bound for Michigan State University, will strive to become the 19th amateur champion on the China LPGA Tour. Interestingly, the most recent amateur winner on the tour happens to be Ren. In January, she won the China LPGA Preseason - Ningbo Oriental Challenge, becoming the first player to win four China LPGA titles as an amateur.
Ren turned professional after competing in the Asia-Pacific Women's Amateur Championship and will now seek her first victory as a pro.
"Peng and I played together many times as juniors. I'm only 15 days older than her, we share the same zodiac sign, have similar personalities, and even like the same color. We haven't played together for a while, but I remember her distance is very long and her iron play is excellent, which are also my strengths. Tomorrow's battle won't be easy. I think the winning score might be 12-under."
Peng Yanxuan
Peng's expectations for the title weren't that high, perhaps because the 63 was completely unplanned. "When it comes to winning on the China LPGA Tour, I don't feel urgency," she said. "As my friends turn professional one by one, I thought it might be easier for me to win the best amateur award. Their victories didn't affect me because we're on different timelines. They're looking forward to turning pro, while I'm planning to study in the United States (Michigan State University)."
The 2026 Huitai Open is organized by the China Golf Association, certified by the China LPGA Tour, title-sponsored by Huitai Technology, and jointly organized by China Women's Professional Golf Events (Beijing) Co., Ltd. and Huitai Technology, with support from the Guangdong Provincial Sports Bureau. The Guangdong Golf Association and Dongguan Tangxia Town Cultural Service Center serve as co-organizers, with Mission Hills Golf - Olazabal Course hosting the event. Themed "AI Empowers Her Power," the tournament introduces cutting-edge AI technology from Huitai Technology, achieving a two-way integration of technology and competition, opening a new chapter of "digital intelligence" for the China LPGA Tour.
The 2026 Huitai Open also receives strong support from tour sponsors Belvision Golf, SVG Golf, Huitai Technology, Ribena, TaylorMade, and official water sponsor C'estbon.
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