Sixteen-year-old Thai sensation Cholcheva Wongras overcame two separate rain interruptions to lead WPGA Tour Qualifying School by one at Coolangatta-Tweed Heads Golf Club.

Heavy rain on Monday morning forced tournament officials to delay Round 1 until a shotgun start at 1pm at Coolangatta’s West Course.

Little more than an hour of play was completed before persistent rain once again resulted in a suspension of play, some players choosing to stay in position while others sought refuge in the clubhouse.

Play resumed under heavy skies at 3:45pm AEDT and, while it appeared unlikely, all 58 players were able to complete 18 holes in fading light.

Wongras’s round of 6-under 66 was the pick on day one, giving her a one-stroke advantage over Japan’s Mizuki Oide (67) and Malaysian Ashley Lau (67) heading into the second and final round on Tuesday.

A junior star in Thailand, Wongras turned professional in 2022 and in four starts on the Ladies European Tour Access Series last year logged a top-10 finish at the Trust Golf Links Series in Scotland in July.

The soggy conditions at Coolangatta did little to slow her down, her round bolstered by an eagle at the par-4 second which had to be shortened due to water on the fairway.

Ranked No.303 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and boasting three top-15 finishes on the Japan Ladies PGA Tour in 2023, Oide was bogey free to earn a share of second with Lau, whose round of 5-under consisted of eight birdies, three bogeys and seven pars.

Brisbane’s Elmay Viking and Victorian Konomi Matsumoto are the best of the Aussie contingent, three strokes off the lead in a tie for fourth. Perth’s Jessica Whitting is a shot further back in a tie for ninth at 2-under.

The 2024 WPGA Tour season begins this weekend with the Melbourne International at Latrobe Golf Club, the top-five finishers at Q School on Tuesday to all but guarantee themselves a spot in every event over the course of the season.

The final round will begin with a shotgun start at 9am AEDT on Tuesday. Spectators are welcome to attend free of charge.

Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images