Jazz Janewattananond’s back-to-back eagles did more than lift him into a tie for second at the Link Hong Kong Open. They also kept his outside bid for a second Asian Tour Order of Merit title alive as Anirban Lahiri and Kevin Yuan share the lead.

India’s Lahiri and Australia’s Yuan each carded an eight-under-par 62 on the Composite Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club. They finished one stroke ahead of Janewattananond and Poosit Supupramai in the penultimate event of the Asian Tour season.

Lahiri, Yuan Share First-Round Lead at Hong Kong Open

Lahiri and Yuan each made nine birdies and one bogey, though they began on different nines. Lahiri started on the first hole and dropped his only shot at the fifth, then played the back nine with birdies on 10, 11, 13, 14, 17 and 18.

“Very happy, very happy,” said Lahiri, 39, a seven-time Asian Tour winner chasing his first title since the 2015 Indian Open. He tied for 23rd at last week’s DP World India Championship and hopes to carry that “momentum and rhythm” forward.

Yuan, who started on the back nine, has made the cut in his past five events and ranks 33rd on the Order of Merit. He is still chasing his first Asian Tour victory.

He said the swing “felt a lot better today than it’s been in a long time.” His highlight came at the par-four ninth, where he hit “probably the best four iron I’ve had all year” from 204 yards and sank a 6-foot birdie putt.

Supupramai matched Janewattananond at 63, with Isaac Lam and Matthew Cheung next at 64. South Korea’s Minkyu Kim and Japan’s Yosuke Asaji also shot 64.

Janewattananond Keeps Order of Merit Hopes Alive With Back-to-Back Eagles

Janewattananond, the 2019 Order of Merit champion, made eagles on the par-five 13th and par-four 14th while playing alongside England’s Lee Westwood and Kevin Na of the United States. He called it a first for him.

On 13, he drove down the middle, hit a 6-iron onto the green and made a putt he estimated at 20 feet. On 14, he hit a 3-wood off the tee, then a pitching wedge from about 126 yards that he feared was long in the gusty wind.

Janewattananond is ninth on the Order of Merit, 632.9 points behind leader and fellow Thai Pavit Tangkamolprasert. With 787.5 points going to this week’s winner, he can still narrow the gap before the season finale, the Philippine Open, in two weeks.

Tangkamolprasert, who is bidding for his first Order of Merit title, opened with a 69 after Australian Harrison Crowe’s tee shot struck him on the upper left leg. He suffered no serious damage.

The Thai star made five birdies, one double bogey and two bogeys. He must make the cut this week to help fend off his closest challengers.