Gill fires career-best 66 to lead Indian charge at Bharath Classic

Pukhraj Singh Gill made the most of home conditions at Kensville Golf Resort, producing his best-ever Asian Tour round, a six-under 66, to sit two shots off the lead on day one of the Bharath Classic 2025.

The 27-year-old, who recently won on the IGPL Tour in Jamshedpur, opened with eight birdies and two bogeys in an aggressive round that reflected his growing confidence — and a new putter he famously picked up last week at a pro shop in Mumbai. “I’m playing more freely thanks to the IGPL three-round format. Even at six-under I stayed aggressive,” Gill said.

Korea’s Heemin Chang set the early pace with a superb eight-under 64, despite arriving late and playing without a practice round. His day included seven birdies and a rare eagle on the par-4 15th.

Gill is tied for second with Korea’s Wooyoung Cho and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Poosit Supupramai, all at 66.

It was also a strong start for India, with Ajeetesh Sandhu, Udayan Mane, Sachin Baisoya, amateur Ishaan Chawhan, and Indian-American Varun Chopra all shooting 67 to join a crowded group in tied-sixth, alongside recent Asian Tour winner Ekpharit Wu.

Further back, Saptak Talwar — balancing seasons on the HotelPlanner Tour and IGPL — shot 69, as did veterans Naman Dawar, Sudhir Sharma and Gaurav Pratap Singh.

The US$500,000 Bharath Classic, jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the IGPL Tour, is the penultimate event of the Asian Tour season. With Order of Merit positions and Q-School pathways on the line, the week carries added weight for several Indian players chasing 2025 status.

Gill summed up day one simply: “I know this course well, and I was excited to have the Asian Tour back in India. The new putter helped — and I’m ready to go.”

Photo – Asian Tour