Eagle Leads the Way as Onkanok Takes Round One at the GOLFJOY Women's Open

24-year-old Thai golfer Onkanok fired a 4-under 68 at Mission Hills to claim the first-round lead, while Wang Zixuan, Ren Yijia, and 17-year-old Canadian Shauna Liu all remain in contention.

DONGGUAN, March 26, 2026 — Thai 24-year-old Onkanok arrived at Mission Hills Golf Club's Olazabal Course for the very first time this week — and fell in love with it immediately. On Thursday, she turned that affection into a sparkling four-under-par 68 to take the first-round lead at the GOLFJOY Women's Open.

The tournament marks the first full-field event of the 2026 CLPG Tour season, with players from 11 countries gathering in Dongguan — including seven winners from the 2025 season — to compete for an 800,000 yuan (approx. USD $116,137) prize fund.

The tournament has captured the international spotlight, with major outlets like China Daily providing extensive coverage. This surge in media interest underscores the GOLFJOY Women's Open's rapidly rising status on the global professional circuit.

Eagle on 15 Shoots Onkanok to the Top

The Bangkok native hit the ground running, birdying two of her first three holes before pulling off the shot of the day on the par-5 15th — a signature hole on the renowned Olazabal Course.

"It's a good score. My shots were quite solid. I had one bad shot but other than that I played pretty well. At the 15th, my second shot I was 210 yards out and I took a half swing with a three-wood and put it to within four to five feet and then putted it in for the eagle"

— Onkanok 

The eagle pushed her to the top of the leaderboard — a position she ultimately held

Rookie Ren Yijia and Thailand's Kawtida Share Second

Tour rookie Ren Yijia surged after the turn, carding a pair of birdies to post a solid 3-under 69. She sits in a tie for second with Thailand's Kawtida, just one stroke off the pace.

"The data feedback is very accurate. It really helps my training."

— Ren Yijia, GOLFJOY Brand Ambassador

Seven Share Fourth; Sui Xiang Posts the Only Bogey-Free Round

Seven players carded two-under-par 70s to share fourth place, including three afternoon starters: Sui Xiang, Wang Yujia, and 17-year-old Canadian amateur Shauna Liu.

Guangzhou’s Sui Xiang delivered the day’s most disciplined performance, carding two birdies against zero bogeys. In a massive field of 120 players, she was the lone competitor to turn in a clean card without a single dropped shot.

Liu earned her spot in the field through a GOLFJOY-backed exemption, a move that underscores the powerful bridge between NXXT platform performance and global competition. A standout on the Team Canada NextGen roster, Liu made waves last season with a breakthrough victory at the NXXT Women's Championship at LPGA International. That win didn't just earn her an Epson Tour exemption—it cemented her status as one of the most electrifying young talents in the game today.

"We're proud to support opportunities like this for players who have earned their moment through performance. Shauna's progression from NXXT champion to competing in the GOLFJOY Women's Open at Mission Hills reflects the kind of pathway we believe in — one that connects talent, opportunity, and the global game."

— Larry Wang, Global CEO and Founder, GOLFJOY

Defending Champion Wang Zixuan in the Hunt

GOLFJOY Brand Ambassador and defending champion Wang Zixuan remains firmly in the hunt, sitting T4 after a solid 2-under 70. She’s perfectly positioned for a weekend charge at back-to-back titles.

In March 2025—less than a year after turning pro—the then-17-year-old fired a clutch 6-under 66 in grueling, wet conditions. That final-round surge allowed her to edge out overnight leader Lin Xin'en by a single stroke, securing her maiden professional victory at the inaugural GOLFJOY Women's Open.

Wang — now 308th on the Rolex World Rankings and competing on the KLPGA Tour this season — opted to return to Mission Hills to defend her title rather than play in South Korea this week.

"This course is much more difficult than the Leadbetter Course. Even though I'm the defending champion, I'm not much different from the other players. It's a brand-new venue and it's very challenging. We're all starting from the same point."

— Wang Zixuan, 2025 GOLFJOY Women's Open Champion & GOLFJOY Brand Ambassador

A Course That Bites Back

The Olazabal Course—a 6,472-yard monster designed by two-time Masters champion José María Olazábal—fully lived up to its fearsome reputation on Thursday. A three-time host of the World Cup of Golf and the WGC-HSBC Champions, the track showed no mercy to the opening-round field.

Chongqing’s Li Dongmei learned that lesson the hard way. After flirting with the lead for much of the day, she stumbled down the stretch. A bogey on the 6th was followed by a disastrous double-bogey on the par-5 7th, where a nightmare four-putt derailed her momentum and dropped her back to a 70.

And Lin Xin'en’s Sitting at 3-under with just one hole to play, she saw her round evaporate on the par-4 18th. A crushing triple-bogey 7 sent her tumbling down the leaderboard into a share of 20th.

GOLFJOY AI Golf Assistant Makes Its Tournament Debut

GOLFJOY built a dedicated AI Golf Simulation Pod on-site this week — equipped with its latest-generation launch monitor and AI golf training system — designed to support players' practice throughout the tournament.

Wei Qingfeng, Secretary-General of the China Golf Association, joined GOLFJOY CEO Larry Wang for a first-hand look at the future of training. Wei was particularly impressed by the AI Assistant’s 'One-Sentence Analysis'—a game-changing feature that identifies a golfer’s core swing flaw in a single, punchy line of feedback. Following the demo, Wei signaled a strong interest in expanding the CGA’s partnership with GOLFJOY.

Wang Zixuan, after tried GOLFJOY AI golf system, said she wanted to take the whole setup home. She added:

"The AI golf assistant is very precise in identifying my problems. The software provides coaching videos to help with analysis and improvement. The newly developed GOLFJOY 3D motion mat is also very helpful for posture analysis — and very comfortable."

— Wang Zixuan, 2025 GOLFJOY Women's Open Champion & GOLFJOY Brand Ambassador

Round Two continues on Friday, March 27, with the final round scheduled for Saturday, March 28, at the Olazabal Course, Mission Hills Golf Club, Dongguan.