Seongnam (Korea), May 5: Khalin Joshi got off to a fine start as he compiled a three-under 68 to finish on tied fifth after the end of the first round at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open here on Thursday.
While the first four places were all occupied by local Korean stars, there were eight players from seven different countries tied for fifth place.
Joshi, who won an Asian Tour title in New Delhi back in 2018, started from the 10th hole and had four birdies against one bogey. He was three shots behind the leader, Korean Dongmin Lee, an experienced player with almost two decades in pro golf.
It was Lee, who took the first-round lead with a six-under-par 65 at the Namseoul Country Club.
Joshi, who was tied 8th in his first event of 2022 at the Singapore International, was the best Indian, while Gaganjeet Bhullar and Karandeep Kochhar carded 1-under 70 each and were tied 26th. Bhullar had two birdies against one bogey, all in a span of five holes from 13th to 17th holes. Kochhar had five birdies against four bogeys.
Veer Ahlawat and Viraj Madappa, who recently sealed a berth on the Indian Asian Games team, shot 71 each and were T-41st.
Honey Baisoya (72) was T-58, S Chikkarangappa (73) was T-85, Shiv Kapur (76) was T-124 and Aman Raj (80) was T-141st.
Joshi starting on the tenth birdied the 14th but gave away the gain on 16th. On his second nine he birdied first, third and fourth and parred the rest for 68. Madappa had an eagle on Par-5 fourth, two birdies and four bogeys in his 71.
While Lee led the field with 65, his compatriot Hyungjoon Lee came in with a 66 in an event which marks return of an Asian Tour event in Korea since 2019. Junggon Hwang and Bio Kim are tied for third at 67. (PTI)
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