PTI
  
Tokyo, Jun 30: Jeev Milkha Singh, currently on top of the Asian Order of Merit, carried his good form into the UBS Japan Golf Tour championship, opening with an even par 70 at the Shishido Hills Golf Club.

The Chandigarh golfer is enjoying a good run of form having notched up seven top 10 finishes already this year, and his solid start here put him in a tie for 9th place.

The other Indian in the field, Amandeep Johl, playing on a special sponsor's invite, shot a 2 over 72 to be in a tie for 39th place.

Johl birdied the sixth hole but bogeyed the eighth and ninth to turn in one over 36. Coming in, he added another birdie on the 16th, but a double bogey on the 18th meant he finished on a disappointing note.

Kiyoshi Murota took the lead with a five-under 65, followed closely by Toru Taniguchi and Tommy Nakajima with identical scores of three under 67. In fourth place was Ippei Sadanobu at two under with four others at 1 under par.

Jeev, who made it to the weekend at the US Open but failed to qualify for the Open Championship, started of with an excellent front nine of three under par 32, which included birdies on the sixth, seventh and ninth holes.

However, Jeev faltered coming in with a double on the 12th and added another bogey to his scorecard on the 14th hole. With pars on the remaining holes, he ended with an even par 70.

"I was disappointed with the back nine. However, there are three more rounds to go," Jeev said.