Pune, Nov 24 (IANS) Rashid Khan and Rahul Bajaj shot identical 69 each to take the lead after the first round of the LG Western India Amateur at the Par-71 Poona Club Golf Course here Tuesday.

Bajaj had as many as six birdies in his round, while Rashid managed to get to the mark with a final-hole eagle.

Hyderabad's Arshdeep Tiwana is two back after he carded a round of even-par 71. Two shots further back, at two-over 73 for the tournament, there are as many as five players led by local lad Aditya Bhandarkar. The others at the same mark are Abhinav Lohan, Gagan Verma, Siddharth Semwal and Bangalore's Chikkarangappa.

Rashid lived up to his top billing with a 25-foot putt for birdie on the opening hole. He came back to level-par after missing a short putt for par on the third hole but the Delhi Golf Club player managed to sink another long putt for birdie on the par-4 sixth and followed that up with two back-to-back birdies on the ninth and tenth to move to three-under for the day.

He followed that up with two straight bogeys. What followed was a run of pars before another dropped shot on the 17 th hole pulled him back again. On the par-5 18th, his second shot nestled up on a mound just off the green, some thirty feet away from the hole, but once again displaying great touch, he stroked the ball into the hole for an eagle which propelled him to two-under for the round.