Golfer Randhawa takes lead at Hong Kong Open

Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa scored six-under 64 to grab the first round lead at the $1.3 million Hong Kong Open here Thursday.

The 2002 Asian Tour winner, Randhawa fired seven birdies against one bogey to take a one-shot lead over Angelo Que of Philippines at the Hong Kong Golf Club.

"I've been playing decent in the last few weeks but haven't been able to put up a good number. Today I really putted my heart out so I'm really happy with the way it went and I'm glad I got the pace on the greens right," Randhawa said.

"I've been working on my physical fitness with my coach. We've been doing a lot of cardio and building my lower body. I changed my swing last year and I'm swinging better because of a more stable lower body. It is still not that strong but I'm working on it."

Other Indians in the fray, Shiv Kapur and Rahil Gangjee scored two-under 68 to share fifth spot alongside 17 other players.

Four-time Major champion Ernie Els produced four-under 66 to share fourth place alongside eight other players including Lu Wei-chih of Chinese Taipei, Baek Seuk-hyun of South Korea and Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium.

Miguel Angel Jimenez's ambitions of winning an unprecedented fifth Hong Kong Open was hampered by a stomach bug as the Spaniard returned with a disappointing 72 to lie in 103rd position in the event, which is jointly sanctioned by the Asian and European Tour.

Que, a three-time Asian Tour winner, posted his first bogey-free round on the Asian Tour in 2014 which was highlighted by a 40-footer birdie putt on the 15th hole.

Leaderboard:

64 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND).

65 - Angelo Que (PHI).

66 - Nicolas Colsaerts (BEL), James Heath (ENG), Lu Wei-chih (TPE), Jbe Kruger (RSA), Nacho Elvira (ESP), Raphael Jacquelin (FRA), Ernie Els (RSA), Baek Seuk-hyun (KOR), Daan Huizing (NED).

67 - Danny Chia (MAS), Rikard Karlberg (SWE), Chan Kim (USA), Julien Quesne (FRA), Scott Hend (AUS), Peter Whiteford (SCO), Ricardo Santos (POR), Mark Foster (ENG), Sam Cyr (USA), Marcus Both (AUS), Sihwan Kim (KOR), Gregory Bourdy (FRA), Wade Ormsby (AUS), Adam Groom (AUS), Marcus Fraser (AUS).

68 - Anthony Wall (ENG), Chapchai Nirat (THA), David Lipsky (USA), Jack Doherty (SCO), Jason Knutzon (USA), Cameron Smith (AUS), Mithun Perera (LKA), Rahil Gangjee (IND), Seve Benson (ENG), Javier Colomo (ESP), Unho Park (AUS), Shiv Kapur (IND), Stuart Manley (WAL), Adrian Otaegui (ESP), Lee Slattery (ENG), Eduardo De La Riva (ESP), Mo Joong-kyung (KOR).