A chip-in for an eagle and five birdies gave Jeev Milkha Singh a fine start at tied second place in the 200 million yen ANA Open on the Japan Golf Tour on Thursday.

Jeev carded a five-under 67 and was tied with six others -- N Kawahara, H Miyase, Y Tsukada, O Yamaguchi, M Tateyama and K Kuboya -- at the par-72 course Sapporo Golf Club Wattsu Course.

Hidemasa Hoshino leads the field with six-under 66, made up for six birdies -- four of them in a row from 15th to 18th -- and no bogeys after starting from the tenth.

Jeev started from the first and had birdies on the third, fifth and sixth holes, before a bogey on the ninth that saw him turn in two-under.

On the back nine, Jeev eagled the 12th with a chip-in, and then bogeyed the very next hole. But further birdies on the 14th and 17th ensured a good day. Jeev birdied three of the four par-five holes and bogeyed one.

Jeev, with earnings of 16.7 million yen, is tied for 42nd in the Japan Tour Money List and has made the cut in 10 of the 15 starts so far.

Defending champion Chawalit Plaphol is lying tied 47th at one-under 71.