Yang, who has five runner-up or equal runner-up finishes on the Orient Masters Tour over the past two years, said she had been fighting a cold the past two days but added it was no excuse for her play.

　　“My irons were poor today, even though I only missed one green at 15 and made bogey. My other bogeys were three putts,” said the 24-year-old Sichuan native. “But being behind rather than leading the tournament is no problem for me, there’s less pressure. Tomorrow, I’m just going to be aggressive but steady and we’ll see what happens.”

　　Jiang Xijuan scored the first hole-in-one of the tournament when the Guangdong-based pro aced the 192-yard 15th hole using a three wood.

　　The Orient Masters Qingdao is the third leg of the four leg Orient Masters Tour. The tour, designed to help the development of China’s nascent group of young professionals, concludes with the third annual Orient China Ladies’ Open on December 12-14 in Xiamen, Fujian Province. South Korea’s Shin Ji-yai, who won the British Ladies Open in August, has won China’s national championship in each of its first two years.

　　The Orient Masters Qingdao is a China Golf Association-sanctioned event.

　　Orient Qingdao Country Club is a par-72, 6,500 layout designed by T.K. Pen in Shandong province in northeast China.

　　Orient Golf will be sending your media organization a daily write-up on the action from Qingdao on each of the three days of the tournament. Any coverage you could provide would be appreciated.