File photo of Korea’s Wooyoung Cho, the second round leader of the $500,000 Bharath Classic Gujarat at the Kensville course near Ahmedabad on Friday. Image courtesy Asian Tour.
By Rahul Banerji
Ahmedabad: Amateur Ishaan Chawhan and Pukhraj Singh Gill were the best placed Indians at tied eighth after the second round of the Bharath Classic Gujarat here on Friday.
Chawhan followed his opening 67 with a 3 under par 69 on day two to total 8 under 136 at the Kensville Golf Resort alongside five others including Gill (66-70), and Thais Jazz Janewattanond (66-70) and Ekpharit Wu (67-69).
Korea’s Woohyung Cho (66-66) led the field on 12 under 132, one shot ahead of compatriot and overnight leader Heemin Chang (64-69, 11 under).
Spain’s Carlos Pigem (65) and Panuphol Pittayarat (66) were tied for third a stroke further back with the Thai sensationally eagling his last hole to surge up the order.
Santiago De la Fuente (67) and Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai (69) shared fifth place, three shots behind Cho. Mexico’s de la Fuenta is 62nd on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit while Poosit is in 81st place.
Yuvraj Sandhu (72-66), Ajeetesh Sandhu (67-71) and Shaurya Binu (72-66) were alongside three others in tied 14th place on 6 under 138.
Aced hole
A further shot behind were Harendra Gupta who aced the 196-yard par 3 fifth with a six-iron, and Khalin Joshi along with former Indian Open winner Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh.
Seventy-two from a starting field of 108 made the 36-hole cut which fell at 2 over 146 including amateurs Chawhan, Ranveer Mitroo and Arin Ahuja. Play for the final two rounds will be from 9 am shotgun starts.
Chawhan, 2022 Western India amateur winner, caught the eye for a second straight day with some steady golf in a 3 under round that mixed five birdies with two dropped shots on either side of the turn.
The 21-year-old was alongside former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Janewattananond (66-70), Asian Tour winners Justin Quiban (70-66) and Wu (67-69) besides England’s Steve Lewton (69-67) and compatriot Pukhraj Gill.
Cho, Asian Games gold medallist in 2022 along with PGA Tour stars Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im, is 56th in the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit and needs a solid finish to seal his card while only a win will do for Chang.
The morning also saw two holes in one, from Chandigarh’s Gupta (fifth) and Englishman Harold William, who aced the par-three 11th with a pitching wedge enroute to a 65 and a 5 under 139 total.
Flying round
PGTI Ranking leader Yuvraj Sandhu who carded an even par 72 on Day 1, made up with a flying 6 under 66 with seven birdies against one bogey.
He had former Asian Tour winner, Ajeetesh Sandhu, who dropped two late bogeys before closing with a birdie for company.
The Bharath Classic Gujarat is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indian Golf Premier League.
It is also the penultimate event of the season on the Asian Tour, where many in contention are trying ensure they keep their Asian Tour cards by staying in top 65 on the Order of Merit.
Only one event remains after this week, the Saudi Open presented by PIF in Riyadh.
Also read: Chang is early leader at Kensville, Gill fires feisty 66 for tied second
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