Angelo Que birdied the last three holes to open with a four-under-par 68 in the Hong Kong Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club on Thursday.

The 44-year-old Que emerged as part of the big group at the 11th spot, just three shots behind leader Cameron Smith of Australia and Eugenio Chacarra of Spain.

Smith, who is looking to add his name among the Australians who emerged victorious in Asia's oldest professional golf tournament, collected eight birdies against a lone bogey.

"I was actually looking at how many times Peter Thomson won because I feel like he's won every trophy around the world, and has travelled so much, I adore him," Smith said, referring to Peter Thompson who won this event three times in the 1960s.

"It is a really good list of players and lots of Aussies have been successful around here too, so it would be nice to go on that list."

Chacarra, meanwhile, finished the round with seven birdies with no bogey.

One of the three Filipinos in this prestigious event that is being held for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic, Que birdied No. 4 to reach the turn on 1-under.

Then, he birdied Nos. 10 and 13 before countering a bogey on No. 16 with the closing birdies.

Other Filipinos in the tourney in Lloyd Jefferson Go and Miguel Tabuena each carded a 70 for a share of the 35th spot.

Go had six birdies against two bogeys and a double bogey while Tabuena mixed five birdies with three bogeys.

Alone in the third spot with a 66 was Yubin Yan of Korea while Andy Ogletree, Phachara Khongwatmai, Taehee Lee, Lee Chieh-po, and Harrison Crowe are bunched at fourth with 67.