Bharath Classic 2025: Local amateur Ishaan is top Indian at third, Thai duo Jazz and Poosit share lead
Ahmedabad, Nov 29 (LatestNewsX) – In a compelling turnaround, local amateur Ishaan Chawhan, who’s been rebuilding his game after a string of injuries, is now the top Indian player at the Bharath Classic 2025 following three rounds.
Only a few weeks before the tournament, the 22‑year‑old celebrated his birthday. He posted a 68, his third consecutive round in the sixties, bringing him to 12‑under while moving up to a tie for third place, having been sixth overnight.
Chawhan has consistently finished in the top five in his recent amateur outings, including a strong run in the Gujarat Amateurs held at the same course. He’s now just three shots behind the Thai pair of seasoned pro Jazz Janewattananond (65) and relative newcomer Poosit Supupramai (66), who had an ace on the 16th and a birdie on the 18th. The duo sits at 15‑under, a full three shots ahead of the trio tied for third, which includes first‑round leader Korean Heemin Chang (71) and Thai Panuphol Pittyarat (70), whose last Asian Tour victory came in 2018.
Chawhan’s home turf is often the nearby Kalhaar Blue course and Kensville, and his last amateur triumph came at the Western India Amateurs in 2022. “I have suffered injuries in the knee, back and wrist and lost a lot of time. Only in the last year or so have I been getting back my game in shape,” he said in a quiet voice. “I hurt my knee playing football and then came other injuries.”
“I play a lot at Kalhaar and also the Kensville,” Chawhan added, noting that he finished in the top five at his last event on this course less than a month ago. “I like this course,” he explained, highlighting how his familiarity with the layout helped him navigate the greens smoothly.
Starting from the tenth tee alongside Pukhraj Singh Gill and Steve Lewton, Chawhan’s first four holes were all pars. He then made two successive gains before dropping a single stroke on the final hole. A steady round that included birdies on the third, sixth and ninth holes saw him avoid any further lost shots, keeping his pace steady and securing a tie for third in the top five, with one more day to go. Smiling, he told reporters, “I am not getting ahead and am just going to keep playing the way I have.”
Nine other Indians hovered around the 9‑under mark, including IGPL Order of Merit leader and two‑time IGPL Tour champion Aman Raj (66). After a modest opening round of 73, Raj shot 68 and 66 in his next two rounds, while Pukhraj Singh Gill posted a 71, another IGPL winner, Shaurya Binu scored 69, Indian Tour point‑leader Yuvraj Sandhu matched him at 69, and Thai competitor Settee Prakongvech also finished at 69.
Aman Raj made the most of the course, birdying every par‑5 and completing seven birdies with just a single bogey. Yuvraj Sandhu managed four birdies against one bogey over the same period. “It was good to get in a low score and there is one more day to go,” the season‑strong captain remarked.
Binu, who boasts a single professional win, registered five birdies – three in a row from holes 5–7 and an additional one on the ninth – and even managed a birdie on his first late‑round stroke on the 17th. Gill admitted, “My driving was shabby today, but I hung in and fought well to shoot one under.”
Behind the top five lurked a number of notable players, all hovering around 11‑under. Carlos Pigem (71), Steve Lewton (69) and four others – veteran Bangladeshi Siddikur Rehman (67), Korean prospect Wooyoung Cho (74) who had led after two rounds, recent Asian Tour winner Ekpharit Wu (70) and Wittchayat Sinsrang (69) – were all within striking distance.
The match‑play format began on a day featuring a shotgun start. From the tenth tee, the experienced Jazz Janewattananond, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit victor, launched a strong run with three consecutive birdies among his first five holes and finished the day with four more in his last six. Between those stretches, he made seven pars from the 15th all the way down to the third.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
