China’s Liqi Zeng holds the outright lead on 12-under-par at the 36-hole mark of the 2026 Aramco China Championship at Mission Hills China.
The 20-year-old opened with a 65 (-8) on the first day of action on the World Cup Course before following up with a 69 (-4) on Day Two.
Related: Charlotte Heath in three-way tie for lead in China
Zeng began her round with a hole-out eagle on the 10th and added her first birdie of the day on the 13th hole.
The Chinese star dropped a shot on the fourth before back-to-back birdies on six and seven, as well as another dropped shot on nine to seal a round of 69 (-4) and lead with a score of 12-under-par.
“Today my driver is not very good, I missed some short putts, but it’s fine I was four-under, so it’s still a good day,” said Zeng. “For number 10, my first hole, I missed my driver to the right and I fell in the rough, but the second shot was very nice and it’s just in the hole.
“I’m very happy, it’s been a long time since I have had an eagle from the fairway. I like this course. The greens are very nice. For my driver, it’s good and tomorrow I will just try my best and try to make more birdies.”
Six players share second place with English trio Charlotte Heath, Mimi Rhodes and Annabell Fuller, China’s Shiyuan Zhou and Spanish duo Luna Sobron Galmes and Ana Peláez Triviño all on 11-under-par.
View this post on Instagram
Solheim Cup winner Rhodes was bogey-free during her second round of 68 (-5) making birdies on the second, eighth, ninth, 11th and 18th holes.
“I didn’t have my best golf out there honestly starting off, but then I warmed up to it and missed a couple of putts in the in-between short ones. I got frustrated, but I holed some nice ones at the end, so it all comes out in the wash,” said Rhodes.
“I’m not really missing any fairways and not many greens, so I would say every day I’m just trying to shoot lower and lower than the day before. I’m trying to come out of it leading each day. We will see what happens and looking forward to the weekend.”
Home star Zhou, who is aged 16, fired a round of 66 (-7) which included eight birdies and one bogey.
“My irons were all good today, I feel really smooth and I totally controlled my body today, so I feel really good. Lots of them were short putts but there were some long putts too, I really locked in with my putter,” said Zhou.
View this post on Instagram
“I love this golf course. This is my second time to play the Aramco China Championship, and it feels really nice to be here. I took a break for three months with my wrist injury which is a long time. I put all my focus on my wrist and just hope it can be better and it’s better now.
“Tomorrow, I do what I need to do and stay focused on my golf. I don’t want to think too much, and I want to keep learning more on the golf course.”
Spain’s Peláez Trivino also had a flawless day making her first birdie at 12 before an eagle on the 18th hole.
The LET winner then rolled in four consecutive birdies on holes one to four to sign for a round of 66 (-7).
“I have enjoyed my two rounds here, today more than yesterday. It’s been really good. My golf is feeling good. I hit the right number plenty of times and gave myself “easy” putts. It’s been easy. I haven’t complicated it too much on the course,” said the Spaniard.
View this post on Instagram
“Everything! Good tee shots and really good shots into the green. My furthest putt was maybe 15 feet, I was getting that momentum of I can’t miss and that kept going for five holes. It was a nice feeling to have.”
England’s Fuller, who was one of the co-leaders overnight, rolled in five birdies and two bogeys during her round.
“Honestly, today I was a little bit disappointed with how I struck the ball. It wasn’t quite as good as yesterday,” said Fuller. “That’s what gave me a low round yesterday, but otherwise I kept it together and tried to keep as many bogeys off the scorecard and roll in birdies.
“I’ve been disappointed being very close to making cuts and I have been missing them by one which grinds on you a little bit. I kept my head down and kept working, I waited for a good round and that was yesterday. Hopefully, two more days and it will be good.”
It was a similar day for England’s Heath as she also had five birdies and two dropped shots to be one stroke behind the leader at the 36-hole mark.
“My ball striking was much better than yesterday, my putting not so much. I left myself sometimes in the high side with breaking putts, so I don’t really think I putted badly. I had some tough putts, but it was okay,” said Heath.
“I’m happy with the position, but there’s still a lot of golf to play. We will see. It’s one of those golf courses where you just have to keep pushing because anybody could have a really low round, so that’s another experience for me.”
View this post on Instagram
Spain’s Sobron Galmes carded a round of 67 (-6) with seven birdies and one bogey to move up to T2.
“I’m hitting the ball really well, so I think I have confidence with my long game and then the putts are dropping. If I’m making the putts, then my long game is more relaxed. I’m happy with that,” said Sobron.
“I like the golf course. I think it suits me because I can move the ball. I don’t like courses that are always straight and wide. I like narrow and moving the ball, so this course fits me a lot.”
 on the first day of action on the World Cup Course before following up with a 69 (-4) on Day Two.){kind=link}