Looking for a third tournament win in a month, Ajeetesh Sandhu hit a 64 to go into Friday’s second round of the Panasonic Open India at the head of 22 players who hit sub-70 scores on the first day.

The 29-year-old Indian who has burst onto the Asian Tour this year after struggling to get a place, hit an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey in his sparkling round at the Delhi Golf Club.

Sandhu missed the mark at the Asian Tour qualifying school in January and needed his country exemption to get a place. But he won the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship in Taiwan a month ago for his first tour win followed that with victory in the Taiheiyo Club Challenge tournament on the Japan Challenge Tour and was then joint second in the Macau Open.

“I feel really good to be able to shoot such a low score especially on a challenging golf course like this, which can be really tough,” said Sandhu. One shot back in second place is Shiv Kapur who finished with three birdies in a 65 round that featured seven birdies in all. Indians took nine of the top 13 places in a day of scorching rounds in the Delhi pollution. Forty players made sub-rounds. Another Indian star, SSP Chawrasia, was tied fifth with Thai legend Thawom Wiratchant.