Welsh World Cup player Bradley Dredge shared the lead following the first round of the Volvo China Open today - after not knowing he would even be allowed into the country until Tuesday night.
Dredge flew to Hong Kong without a Chinese visa and spent nine hours at the airport there while the matter was resolved and he was able to travel on to Shanghai.
"It was a bit of a nightmare and I was worried that the trip would be for nothing," said the 31-year-old.
While others struggled with jetlag Dredge chipped in for an eagle at the long 14th and had five birdies in a five-under-par 67 at Shanghai Silport to share top spot with Australian Unho Park.
This is the first event of the new European tour season, but Dredge has not had his winter break yet. Despite slipping back to 60th on the Order of Merit he still qualified to partner Phillip Price in last week's World Cup in Seville.
They finished the day a stroke ahead of Dredge's fellow Welshman Stephen Dodd, English pair Barry Lane and Matthew King, Australian Jason Dawes, Indian Amandeep Johl and Zimbabwe's Marc Cayeux. All of them had the benefit of the
calmer afternoon conditions.
Favourite Thomas Bjorn, the only player in the world's top 100 taking part, had to settle for a one-under 71.
Collated totals after the first round of the Volvo China Open at Shanghai Silport, Shanghai, China:
67 Bradley Dredge, Unho Park
68 Stephen Dodd, Matthew King, Marc Cayeux, Barry Lane, Jason Dawes, Amandeep Johl
69 Joon Chung, Mads Vibe-Hastrup, Angelo Que, Zhang Lian-wei, James Kingston, Andrew Pitts
70 Mark Foster, Prayad Marksaeng, Simon Yates, Soren Hansen, Rick Gibson, Raymond Russell, Lee Slattery, Steve Webster
