Shiv Kapur holed a birdie in the closing stages to finish even par 70 in the first round of the Dunlop Phoenix golf tournament at the Phoenix Country Club in Miyazaki.
The 24-year-old Indian, who was the Rookie of the year on Asian Tour in 2005, shot a 70 after being one-over for the front nine to be tied 12th. He was five shots off the leader Shingo Katayama, who also leads the Japan Tour Money list.
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano was second with a score of four-under 66 with a whopping nine birdies but he also had five bogeys.
Tiger Woods who flew in from Shanghai, where he was second to Yang Yong-Eun of Korea, shot three-under 67 with three birdies in last six holes, including two in last three to be tied third.
He shared third place with Padraig Harrington of Ireland and three Japanese players -- Toshimitsu Izawa, Satoru Hirota and Hisayuki Sasaki.
Kapur had a bogey on the second and then birdied the fifth, only to drop shots on seventh and eighth to go two-over. He birdied the ninth to be one-over at the turn.
On the back nine, he parred seven holes before finding a birdie on 17th and then parred the last to end even par for the day.
Last week's winner at the Champions tournament in Shanghai, Yang shot a four-over 74 and tied 57th.
