Singapore:
Gaganjeet Bhullar rode on a flawless back-nine to card a five-under 67 and at tied 15th, was the highest-placed Indian golfer after the opening round of the USD 400,000 inaugural Handa Singapore Classic on Thursday.
Bhullar's 67 included seven birdies -- five of them in the back-nine -- against a couple of bogeys.
Even-par at the turn after striking a couple of birdies and an equal number of bogeys, Bhullar hit a purple patch in the back-nine.
It started with back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th and continued with a birdie hat-trick from the 15th to the 17th hole as the Indian rounded off a fine performance.
A stroke adrift of the Kapurthala pro was SSP Chowrasia, who pulled off six birdies against a couple of bogeys for a share of the 29th spot.
Anirban Lahiri also played near-perfect golf and had it not been for a 17th-hole bogey, he could have been higher then the tied 42nd on the leader-board after fetching two birdies and an eagle.
Lahiri shared the position with, among others, Harmeet Kahlon and C Muniyappa.
Vikrant Chopra and Himmat Rai were just above the projected cut-line at tied 58th after carding two-under 70s in the opening round.
In the lower half of the leader-board, Rahil Gangjee was tied 91st with a card of even-par 72, while veteran Gaurav Ghei was further down at tied 102nd with a one-over 73.
Digvijay Singh was tied for the 119th spot after opening with a disastrous 75.
South African Peter Karmis took the sole lead with blemish-free nine-under 63, which was studded with nine birdies.