Anirban Lahiri of Bangalore fired a sizzling six-under-par 66 to take the round one lead at the McLeod Russel Tour Championship, the PGTI's year-ending event, here Thursday.
Gurgaon-based Jyoti Randhawa returned a five-under-par 67 to tail the leader in second place.
Lahiri gave a perfect start to the tournament by registering eight birdies against two bogeys in round one. Lahiri's putter was hot as he made birdie putts from 15 to 25 feet on the third, eighth and 17th holes. He also hit birdies on the ninth, tenth and 18th.
Lahiri's two bogeys came as a result of his ball being plugged in the bunker on the seventh and his tee shot landing in the water hazard on the 16th.
Randhawa had a flurry of birdies on the front-nine to make the turn at five-under. He landed it within four feet on the first to pick up his first birdie.
Randhawa then chipped-in on the third and sank 10-feet birdie putts on the fifth and sixth holes. The former Asia no. 1, who hails from the DLF Golf & Country Club, Gurgaon, added a birdie and a bogey on the back-nine.
Abhinav Lohan of Faridabad and Sanjay Kumar of Lucknow occupy joint third place at four-under-par 68. Rookies Khalin Joshi of Bangalore and Angad Cheema of Panchkula are a further shot behind in tied fifth place.
Defending champion S.S.P. Chowrasia is placed tied 50th with three-over-par 75. His opening round featured a birdie and two double-bogeys.
