India's Chouhan lies tied fourth in Abu Dhabi in Challenge Tour event

Elvira had one of the most eventful rounds with six birdies and an eagle against five bogeys, including three in a row from fourth to sixth.

India's latest golf star, Om Prakash Chouhan put himself in tied-fourth position after the first round of the UAE Challenge, the second of the two-event swing of the European Challenge Tour in Abu Dhabi.

Chouhan, winner of the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge in Bengaluru in March, shot 3-under 69 and was two shots behind sole leader, Ivan Cantero Gutierrez of Spain, who finished strongly on the ninth with two birdies in his last three holes and carded 5-under 67. He had two eagles, one each on Par-4 10th, where he started his round, and on Par-5 15th.

Brandon Stone, a multiple winner on the DP World Tour, and Conor Purcell carded 4-under 68 each to be 4-under and tied for second. Chouhan, 36, a multiple winner on the PGTI Indian Tour, which recently went into an alliance with the DP World Tour, had five birdies, including three in a row from 10th to 12th, against two bogeys for his 69.

Chouhan is currently 11th on the Road to Mallorca Order of Merit for Challenge Tour, from where the top-20 go to the DP World Tour the following year. He could also get into the DP World Tour if he tops the Indian PGTI Tour, so there are multiple options for him to get to the main Tour.

The current leader on the PGTI Indian Tour, from where the Order of Merit winner earned a DP World Tour card for the following year, Chouhan birdied second and fifth and three in a row from 10th to 12th. He dropped shots on the sixth and 13th.

There were as many as 10 players, including Ugo Coussad of France, who were tied fourth at 3-under 69. Also, in this 10-man crowd at tied fourth place were Manuel Elvira, Benjamin Herbert and Daniel Young and five others. Elvira had one of the most eventful rounds with six birdies and an eagle against five bogeys, including three in a row from fourth to sixth.

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