Om Prakash Chouhan birdies last hole to card even par at Abu Dhabi Challenge

India's Om Prakash Chouhan, playing a European Challenge Tour event in foreign soil for the first time, picked a birdie on the very last hole to card an even-par 71 in the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Challenge.

Winner of the Duncan Taylor Black Bull Challenge last month on European Challenge Tour, Chouhan is slated to play back-to-back events in Abu Dhabi as he seeks to consolidate his position on the Order of Merit, from where the top 20 will go on to earn a card into the DP World Tour.

Chouhan is currently ninth in the standings.

Chouhan had two birdies against two bogeys and was lying tied 61st which was just inside the cutline.

Starting from the first nine, he bogeyed the sixth, but made amends on the eighth. He again dropped a shot on 10th but finished the round with a birdie on Par-5 18th.

England's Tom Lewis posted an eight under par round of 64 to ..