A chip-in for an eagle and five birdies gave Jeev Milkha Singh [Images] a fine start at tied second place in the 200 million yen ANA Open on the Japan [Images] Golf Tour on Thursday.

Jeev carded a five-under 67 and was tied with six others -- N Kawahara, H Miyase, Y Tsukada, O Yamaguchi, M Tateyama and K Kuboya -- at the par-72 course Sapporo Golf Club Wattsu Course.

Hidemasa Hoshino leads the field with six-under 66, made up for six birdies -- four of them in a row from 15th to 18th -- and no bogeys after starting from the tenth.

Jeev started from the first and had birdies on the third, fifth and sixth holes, before a bogey on the ninth that saw him turn in two-under.

On the back nine, Jeev eagled the 12th with a chip-in, and then bogeyed the very next hole. But further birdies on the 14th and 17th ensured a good day. Jeev birdied three of the four par-five holes and bogeyed one.

Jeev, with earnings of 16.7 million yen, is tied for 42^nd in the Japan Tour Money List and has made the cut in 10 of the 15 starts so far.

Defending champion Chawalit Plaphol is lying tied 47th at one-under 71.