New South Welshman Matt Stieger can look towards the looming Australian summer with renewed hope after recording his first top-10 of the season at the Asian Tour’s Panasonic Open India at Delhi Golf Club.

Tied for seventh at the SP PNG Golf Open earlier in the year, Stieger’s best result on the Asian Tour this year had been a tie for 19th at the co-sanctioned ISPS HANDA New Zealand Open in March but a late flurry in India should provide a timely confidence boost.

Three birdies and a sole bogey on the front nine on Sunday got Stieger off on the right foot and he followed it up with his fourth birdie of the day at the par-4 10th.

A double-bogey at the par-3 12th was a setback before he made birdies at the 14th, 17th and 18th holes to post 12-under par and tied for sixth, five shots behind winner Khalin Joshi.

The result moved the 27-year-old up from 104th in the Habitat for Humanity standings to 90th.

Steven Jeffress also recorded his first top-10 finish on the Asian Tour this year courtesy of a final round of 4-under 68 to end the week at 10-under par with Maverick Antcliff tied for 27th and Terry Pilkadaris tied for 31st.

Jake Higginbottom’s final round of 2-over 74 saw the Novocastrian finished tied for 47th with Andrew Martin and Adam Blyth finishing 53rd and 57th respectively.

Asian Tour veteran David Gleeson was the only other Australian to make the cut, a final round of 6-over 78 seeing him finish in 71st position.