LIVE LEADERBOARD Australia&aposs Jake Higginbottom fired an opening round 68 to be just one stroke behind the leader following the opening round of the Asian Amateur Championship at the West Course at Kasumigaseki Country Club near Tokyo. The New South Welshman is in a three-way for second going into Friday&aposs second round. Starting on the 10th, the 16-year-old from Charlestown, reached the turn on two under par, before a bogey on the fourth cut him back to minus one. Back-to-back birdies on five and six, however, and an excellent up-and-down from behind the green on 18, ensured that he would go into Friday tied for second place. Japan s Yosuke Asaji leads following his opening round four-under-par 67. I played perfectly today with no bogeys, and I only missed the green on one hole, he explained. I think I play well at Kasumigaseki, so hopefully I can do better than last year, when I finished 41st, because I really want to play in the Masters in the future. Asaji was the only player of the 118 competitors to sign for a bogey-free round on the 7,068-yard (6,463-metre) layout. Kieran Pratt (VIC) and Jordan Sherratt (SA) signed for 1-under par 70&aposs in the opening round and are in a tie for 11th place. Tarquin MacManus (NSW) is in a tie for 18th following his opening round even par 71. Luke Bleumink (VIC) opened with a 6-over 77 while Western Australia&aposs Matt Jager had a challenging day with an opening round 80.