Ahmedabad, Nov 28 (NationPress) India’s Pukhraj Singh Gill struggled with his irons on the front nine but managed to secure a series of pars to minimize setbacks during the second round of the $500,000 Bharath Classic 2025 Gujarat, co-sanctioned with the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). On the back nine, Gill recorded three birdies against a single bogey for a score of 70, keeping him within the Top-7.

Gill, who was tied for second after the first round with a score of 6-under 66, added a 2-under 70 to reach 8-under at the halfway point. He was the top Indian professional, tied for seventh place alongside amateur Ishaan Chawhan (67-69).

Korean Wooyoung Cho, a gold medalist from the 2022 Asian Games (held in 2023), along with PGA Tour stars Si Woo Kim and Sungjae Im, carded another impressive 66 to take sole possession of the lead at 12-under, ahead of his fellow countryman Heemin Chang (64-69). While Cho currently sits at 56th in the Order of Merit and requires a solid finish to secure his tour card, Chang must win to achieve the same.

Round one leader Chang (64-69) had a bogey-free outing, but his 69 with three birdies wasn’t sufficient to maintain his lead, placing him second at 11-under. Cho is striving for his first Asian Tour title. The two-time champion on the Korean Tour started off at even par after five holes but quickly gained momentum with back-to-back birdies at the sixth and seventh holes. From the 11th to the 17th, Cho achieved four more birdies without any dropped shots, finishing with a 66 that positions him as a strong contender for his first Asian Tour victory.

Past India visitor Carlos Pigem shot a bogey-free 65 to add to his 69, tying him for third with Panuphol Pittyarat (68-66) at 10-under. Poosit Supupramai (66-69) and Santiago De La Fuente (68-67) are tied for fifth at 9-under.

Gill, who is currently staying over an hour away from the Kensville Golf Resort, began his round on the first hole and parred his initial eleven holes. He then secured back-to-back birdies on the 12th and 13th before dropping a shot on the Par-5 15th. He regained that shot on the 17th and ended 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 but couldn’t convert. However, being at 8-under on this course keeps me in contention, and there are two more days ahead,” stated the long-hitting golfer, who recently celebrated his first pro title at IGPL Jamshedpur.

Amateur Chawhan, the 2022 Western India amateur champion, continued to impress, adding a 3-under 69 to his first round 67, totaling 8-under for 36 holes, and tying for seventh alongside notable players such as former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Jazz Janewattananond (66-70), Asian Tour victors Justin Quiban (70-66) and Ekpharit Wu (67-69), as well as England’s Steve Lewton (69-67) and Gill (66-70).

Meanwhile, Shaurya Binu, a pro in his third year, rebounded from a first round 72 with a remarkable 66 during the second round, marking his debut on the main Asian Tour. With nine birdies against three bogeys, he expressed, “My hitting could have been better, but I holed a lot of putts. I’m feeling good and looking forward to the next two rounds.”

Multiple-time winner in India, Yuvraj Sandhu, who scored even par on Day 1, bounced back with one of the day’s best scores of 6-under 66, featuring seven birdies against one bogey, moving him up to Tied-14th, alongside former Asian Tour winner Ajeetesh Sandhu (67-71), who faced two late bogeys but finished strong with a birdie.

The day also witnessed two players achieving a hole-in-one. Englishman Harold William aced the par-three 11th en route to a 65, finishing at five under. Shortly after, Indian golfer Harendra Gupta made his tee shot on the par-three fifth, also finishing at five under. William utilized a pitching wedge, while Gupta opted for a six iron.

This week’s inaugural US$500,000 Bharath Classic is jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). The IGPL has three additional events scheduled for its 2025 calendar, while this stands as the penultimate tournament of the season for the Asian Tour.

The cut fell at 2-over, with 72 players advancing to the final two rounds, which will be played with a shotgun start. Among those who missed the cut were young talents Kartik Singh (77-70) and Veer Ganapathy (77-73).

IGPL Order of Merit leader Aman Raj (73-68) ensured his weekend participation at T0-31, while second-placed Gill remains tied for seventh.