Samarth Dwivedi sixth after first round in Asian Tour Q-School

HUA HIN: India's Samarth Dwivedi, who played for the national team at Asian Games in September last, finished strongly with a first round of four-under 68 in the Qualifying School First Stage Section B at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club here.

He was tied sixth, and three shots behind Finland's Teemu Putkonen (65) and Japan's Konosuke Nakazato (65).

Dwivedi started on the 10th and was even par for his first nine with two birdies and two bogeys. On the second nine, he birdied four times to finish with a 68.

Exactly 100 players started out in the field and the top 22 will move to the Final Stage later this month.

In another First Stage Section A qualifier in Singha Park Khon Kaen Club, Matt Jager of Australia opened his campaign with a solid four-under-par 68.

Jager is an Australian Amateur Championship and two-time New Zealand Amateur Championship winner and he led by three shots over countryman Chris Gaunt.

India's Vikas Venugopal shot 22-over 94 and lying 35th in a field of 37.

Over 430 players from around the world have signed up for the First Stage of Qualifying School presented by Sports Authority of Thailand, with Section A taking place at the Imperial Lakeview Golf Club in Hua Hin and Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club in Khon Kaen, Thailand this week.

Section B of the First Stage will continue next week at Imperial Lakeview and Springfield Royal Country Club in Hua Hin.

After four rounds, the top 22% of the starting field at each course will qualify for the all-important Final Stage at Springfield Royal and Imperial Lakeview from January 21-24 where the top-40 finishers and ties will earn playing privileges on the Asian Tour in 2015.