Harendra Gupta of Chandigarh fired a five-under 67 at the Panchkula Golf Club Thursday to take the first round lead at the Aircel-PGTI's Haryana Open 2009.

Anirban Lahiri, Ranjit Singh Rathore, A.S. Lehal, Sheeraz Kalra and Vijay Kumar are two strokes behind Gupta in tied-second place.

Gupta had an ideal start as he birdied the first, third, sixth, seventh and ninth to turn in five-under. Gupta made a tricky downhill putt from 12 feet to secure his best birdie of the day on the ninth. He then made birdies on the 11th and 15th and bogeys on the 13th and 16th to close with a brilliant 67.