DORSET'S Georgia Hall fired a six-under-par 67 to take an early lead at the World Ladies' Championship in China – her first Ladies' European Tour event of the year.

Off the back of an LPGA appearance in Thailand, the 20-year-old turned in a solid opening 18 with her putter red-hot on the greens of Mission Hills.

“I played faultless all the way around apart from on the last hole," said Hall, who is searching for the third title of her professional career.

"I putted amazingly, it was one of the best putting rounds I’ve ever had and I didn’t really do a shot wrong so I’m very happy.

“I wanted to take advantage of my morning round, so I’m happy I did. You’ve really got to place the ball well off the tees and be a good driving player, which is probably the strongest part of my game.

"I knew if I hit my driver well and holed some good putts, I wouldn’t be too far away.

“I focused on my putting yesterday afternoon and tried to follow through a bit more and it was so much better. I went out this morning and felt so much more confident. I had 25 putts, which is really good for me.”

Wimborne-based Hall opened with a par on the 10th of the Blackstone Course and then fired three straight birdies starting with a holed bunker shot on the par-three 11th.

Further birdies at the 16th and 18th saw her complete the back nine on five-under.

Her stunning round continued when she birdied the third and sixth, before making her first bogey on the par-four ninth, where an aggressive approach shot led to a tricky chip from the back of the green.

Hall was speaking to the LET.