The 24-year-old Rosales birdied two of the first four holes then gunned down two more at the back to complete a round of 33-34 at the rain-drenched par-71 Hong Kong Golf Club course in Hong Kong.
It was a fine start for Rosales, whose victory in the RP Open at Riviera last month boosted his confidence and he showed it by coming up with a joint third place finish in last week’s Singapore Open, a feat that put him in the top 40s from No. 67 in the Order of Merit rankings.
Heavy rains that forced the cancellation of the pro-am event Wednesday failed to slow down the 131-player field in this $500,000 event, a world-ranking event, with Hsieh firing an eagle-aided 64 to lead compatriot Yeh Chang-ting by two strokes.
Four of the six other Filipinos seeing action here likewise turned in solid rounds with Rodrigo Cuello, who ruled this event in 1997, likewise shooting a bogey-free card of 68 to trail the leader by five strokes.
Cuello, hoping to close a splendid campaign in the last two months in the Asian PGA Tour where he won over P1 million in earnings, is in 12th place with three others, while Cassius Casas and Robert Pactolerin carded identical 69s for joint 16th.
Danny Zarate shot a 70 for a share of 29th place while Mars Pucay had with a 73.