Canizares, Whiteford share Euro Tour lead

• Tweet

NEW DELHI, Feb. 16 (UPI) -- Alejandro Canizares and Peter Whiteford are at 6-under-par 66 and share the lead after Thursday's first round of the European Tour's Avantha Masters in India.

Canizares and Whiteford each had seven birdies and one bogey in the round. They have a one-stroke lead over Federico Colombo, who didn't have a bogey Thursday en route to a 5-under 67.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Jamie Donaldson, Jean-Baptiste Gonnet, Gregory Havret, Thongchai Jaidee, and Himmat Rai are tied for fourth at 4-under.

Canizares opened on the second nine of the DLF Golf and Country Club and used birdies at 11 and 15 in making the turn at 2-under. He had four birdies in his first six holes on the front side before a bogey at the seventh hole. A closing birdie at the par-5 ninth gave him a share of the lead.

Whiteford was 1-under after birdies at 2 and 6 and a bogey 5 at the fifth hole. He posted four consecutive birdies over Nos. 10-13 and made birdie at the 17th to get to 6-under.