New Delhi: Arjun Atwal, the first and only Indian golfer on the USPGA Tour, fired a scorching 68 in the first round of the $5 million Shell Houston Open in Houston to finish joint third after day one.

Leading the field was Australian Rodney Pampling with a six-under-par 66 one stroke ahead of American Chris Riley. The four others sharing the third place with Atwal were Stephen Ames (Canada), Lucas Glover, Frank Lickliter (both of the US) and South African Deanne Pappas, according to information received here Friday.

Fijian Vijai Singh, the only top-10 player in the tournament, opened with a 74.

Vijay, ranked second in the world, holds the tournament record with a 22-under 266 in 2002. He was ninth here last year.

Pampling, in his second season on the PGA Tour, leads, even as defending champion Fred Couples opened with a one-under 71.

Pampling, one of the back-nine starters, birdied his first three holes and went out in four-under 33. He birdied two more holes coming in for the bogey-free 66.

Shiv Shankar ahead

Calcutta’s Shiv Shankar Prasad Chowrasia nudged ahead to tie for the lead with Harmeet Kahlon even as talented amateur Harinder Gupta nosed to one stroke behind the leaders after the penultimate round of the Rs 10-lakh Hero Golf Chandigarh Open 2004, being played at the par–72, Chandigarh Golf Club.

Kahlon and Chowrasia aggregate 11-under 205 for the tournament while Gupta’s tally stands at 206.

Four-time Order of Merit winner Mukesh Kumar (Mhow) and Asian PGA Tour star Amandeep Johl (Chandigarh) were tied fourth at six-under 210, with Delhi’s Ashok Kumar occupying the seventh position at 212.