Bharath Classic: Pukhraj Gill stays in Top 10 as Korea’s Woo leads event co-sanctioned by IGPL, Asian Tour
Ahmedabad, November 28 – Pukhraj Singh Gill was unable to hit his irons solidly over the first nine holes of the second round at the $500,000 Bharath Classic 2025 in Gujarat, but he steadied himself with a string of pars to stay out of trouble. He finished the back nine with three birdies and only one bogey, posting a 70 that kept him inside the top‑seven.
Gill had tied for second place after day one with a 6‑under 66, and after adding a 2‑under 70 he was 8‑under at the halfway point. He was the leading Indian professional and shared seventh place with amateur Ishaan Chawhan (67‑69).
Meanwhile, Korean Wooyoung Cho, who took gold at the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023), and PGA Tour stars Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im all recorded a consecutive 66, propelling Cho into the sole lead at 12‑under ahead of compatriot Heemin Chang (64‑69). Woo is 56th on the Order of Merit and needs a solid finish to secure his card, while Chang must win to earn one.
Chang, the round‑one leader with a 64‑69, shot a bogey‑free but only a 69 with three birdies, falling to second place at 11‑under. Woo is chasing his first Asian Tour title. After starting the day at even par for the first five holes, the Korean Tour’s’two‑time winner found momentum with back‑to‑back birdies on holes six and seven. From the 11th to the 17th, Woo added four more birdies, finishing with a 66 that makes him a strong favourite for the maiden win on the Asian Tour.
Past‑India guest Carlos Pigem recorded a bogey‑free 65 to join Panuphol Pittyarat (68‑66) on a shared third place at 10‑under. Poosit Supupramai (66‑69) and Santiago De La Fuente (68‑67) were tied for fifth at 9‑under.
Gill, who is staying in a hotel over an hour from Kensville Golf Resort, began the day from the first hole and parred the first eleven. He then rolled two birdies on the 12th and 13th, before dropping a shot on the par‑5 15th. He recovered that miss on the 17th and finished with a par.
“My hitting was even better than the first day when I scored 66, but today my irons didn’t work well. I had mid‑range putts for birdies from 15‑20 feet and could not hole them. But at 8‑under on this course, I am in the picture, and there are two more days to go,” the long‑hitter said, noting that he recently earned his first professional title at the IGPL Jamshedpur event.
The second day saw amateur Chawhan, the 2022 Western India amateur champion, draw attention. The 21‑year‑old, who competes on the amateur tour, added a 3‑under 69 to his first‑round 67, giving him a healthy 8‑under after 36 holes. He is tied seventh alongside former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond (66‑70), Asian Tour winners Justin Quiban (70‑66) and Ekpharit Wu (67‑69), England’s Steve Lewton (69‑67), and Gill (66‑70).
Meanwhile, pro Shaurya Binu, in his third professional year, followed a 72 in round one with an impressive 66 in round two. In his first Asian Tour event, Binu racked up nine birdies and only three bogeys. “My hitting could have been better, but I holed a lot of putts. I am feeling good and looking forward to the next two rounds,” he added, having one pro win to his name in India.
Yuvraj Sandhu, a multiple‑time winner in India, was even par on day one but recovered with a 6‑under 66, seven birdies and a single bogey, moving him into a tie for 14th place. He joined former Asian Tour winner Ajeetesh Sandhu (67‑71), who faltered with two late bogeys before clinching a birdie.
The day also featured two hole‑in‑ones. Englishman Harold William aced the par‑three 11th for a 65, while Harendra Gupta holed a tee shot on the par‑three 5th. Both golfers finished five under, with William using a pitching wedge and Gupta a six‑iron.
This week’s debut US$500,000 Bharath Classic is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the IGPL. The IGPL has three more events on its 2025 calendar, and this tournament marks the second‑to‑last event of the Asian Tour season.
It is a crucial week for players looking to climb the Asian Tour Order of Merit and secure playing rights for the next season. The top four on the IGPL earn a spot in the final stage of the Asian Tour Q‑School and a place in the 2026 International Series India.
The cut was set at +2, leaving 72 players to continue into the final two rounds, which will start with a shotgun approach. Those who missed the cut included youngsters Kartik Singh (77‑70) and Veer Ganapathy (77‑73).
IGPL Order of Merit leader Aman Raj (73‑68) is tied for third place heading into the weekend, while secondary‑placed Gill is tied seventh.
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