Li Haotong (left) fist bumps with his caddie during Day 1 of the WGC-HSBC Champions on Thursday in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

 
A last-minute switch back to some old clubs helped China's own Li Haotong find his groove and take the solo first-round lead in the WGC-HSBC Championships in Shanghai on Thursday.

China's highest-ranked male golfer and a President's Cup selection, Li finished with a confident eight-under-par 64 to entice a fired-up gallery with the prospect of a big win on home soil.

Li has emerged as China's best hope for a long-awaited break into the top ranks of the men's game, and he looked it in Shanghai. 

Playing alongside one of his idols, Phil Mickelson, the world No.59 didn't drop a shot on his front nine and cruised home to a one-shot lead at Sheshan International Golf Club.

A posse of golfers including former Masters champion Adam Scott of Australia and last year's winner in Shanghai, Xander Schauffele, were two strokes back of Li.

Li, 24, became the first Chinese men's golfer to break into the world top 50 a year ago, and is seeking his first PGA Tour win.

"Obviously it would be [a] great joy for Chinese golfers and golf fans to have a Chinese player winning a WGC-HSBC Champions here in China, but for the next three days, anything could happen," he said afterward.

Li switched back to an older set of clubs just before the tournament after failing to gel with some new irons.

"I [didn't] feel good with my new irons, and I actually had to change back to my old clubs this week to feel more comfortable in my own swing and putting," said Li.

China has long been viewed as the next frontier for golf talent, but that vision has been slow to materialize, at least in the men's game.

But Li heads a cadre of emerging young golfers providing new hope, and a win in east Asia's biggest event would be a major step forward.

Rory McIlroy said this week his sights were now on regaining the world's top ranking that he held four years ago, but it didn't go well for him early.

His front nine was marred by three bogeys as he struggled to gain momentum, but five birdies down the stretch kept him well within contention.

The event, dubbed "Asia's Major," features 15 past Major winners such as Justin Rose, Bubba Watson, Sergio Garcia and Jordan Spieth, but top-ranked Brooks Koepka and a resurgent Tiger Woods skipped the event.

The WGC-HSBC Champions has a rich $10.25 million purse, with $1.7 million going to the winner.

It is the third and final leg of the PGA Tour's Asian swing.