The bogey on the 15th hole proved the only blemish as highest ranked Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa sizzled with a five-under 65 to shoot up to the tied second place after the opening round in the 1.2 million dollar UBS Hong Kong Open on Thursday.
Korean Kang Wook-soon sits on the top of the table after a flawless six-under 64, which included six birdies.
Randhawa is joined by Swede Martin Erlandsson and Rick Gibson of Canada in the second place.
A 10th tee starter at the par-70 Hong Kong Golf Course, Randhawa had a bogey-free front nine which included birdies on the fourth and sixth.
On his way back, the Arjuna awardee golfer had a hat-trick of birdies from 12-14 before a bogey on the 15th snapped the string. Undeterred by the setback, Randhawa fired a birdie on the 17th and two more par shots saw him round off the day.
Fellow Indian Gaurav Ghei carded two-under 68 for the tied 15th position. Ghei had a birdie on the sixth but he dropped a bogey on the ninth and it came to haunt him again on the 14th but the Indian fired birdies on the 12th, 13th and 15th to bail himself out.
Shiv Kapur was not in his elements today but was still good enough to card one-under 69 for the tied 29th position. His show included bogeys on the ninth and 14th holes, besides three birdies.
Joining him with an identical round is Jeev Milkha Singh, who had birdies on the third, ninth and 15th besides the bogeys on the fifth and 18th.
Meanwhile, Amandeep Johl's two-over 72 saw him finish tied 68th. Two strokes behind was Harmeet Kahlon at the tied 103rd place. India born Swede Daniel Chopra also carded four-over 74 to join Kahlon.
Languishing at the tied 114th place in Kolkata's Rahil Gangjee who had a horrendous five-over 75. A birdie on the fourth was the only highlight of his round which included bogeys on the first, fifth, ninth and 15th besides a double bogey in the 10th.
UNI