Ishaan Chawhan Shines at Bharath Classic 2025 Amidst Injury Comeback
Ishaan Chawhan's Impressive Performance
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India] November 29: Local amateur golfer Ishaan Chawhan is making a remarkable return to the sport after battling injuries for the past three years. He emerged as the leading Indian competitor after three days at the Bharath Classic 2025.
Celebrating his 22nd birthday just four weeks ago, Chawhan recorded a score of 68, marking his third consecutive round in the 60s, bringing his total to 12-under and placing him tied for third, up from sixth position overnight, according to a statement from IGPL.
Chawhan's recent performances on the amateur circuit have been impressive, with three Top-5 finishes, including one at the Gujarat Amateurs held at the same course. He trails the Thai duo of Jazz Janewattananond (65) and Poosit Supupramai (66), who are leading at 15-under.
Chawhan frequently practices at the nearby Kalhaar Blue course and Kensville. His last victory on the amateur circuit was in 2022 at the Western India Amateurs.
"I've faced injuries to my knee, back, and wrist, which set me back significantly. However, I've been regaining my form over the past year," Chawhan shared. He added that his knee injury occurred while playing football, followed by other setbacks.
"I enjoy playing at Kalhaar and Kensville," he noted, mentioning that his last amateur event was at this course less than a month ago, where he finished in the Top-5. His strategic play and course management demonstrated his familiarity with the layout.
Starting from the tenth hole alongside Gill and Steve Lewton, Chawhan began with four pars before scoring back-to-back birdies, although he dropped a shot on the 18th. He maintained a steady performance, adding three more birdies on the third, sixth, and ninth holes, while avoiding any further drops, securing his position in the top five with one day remaining.
Chawhan expressed his determination, stating, "I'm not looking too far ahead; I just plan to continue playing my game."
Four other Indian players are closely trailing at 9-under, including Aman Raj (66), the IGPL Order of Merit leader and two-time IGPL Tour winner, who improved from a modest opening score of 73 to 68-66 in subsequent rounds. Other notable players include Pukhraj Singh Gill (71), Shaurya Binu (69), and Yuvraj Sandhu (69).
Ajeetesh Sandhu (70), aiming for an Asian Tour card for the upcoming year, is tied for 17th at 8-under, seven shots behind the leaders. Aman Raj achieved birdies on all four Par-5s, finishing with seven birdies and one bogey, while Yuvraj Sandhu recorded four birdies against one bogey. Raj commented, "It felt great to score low, and there's still one more day to go."
Binu, who has one professional win, recorded five birdies, including three consecutive ones from the fifth to the seventh holes, and another on the ninth. He also added a late birdie on the first hole, his 17th of the day.
Gill remarked, "My driving wasn't great today, but I persevered and managed to finish one under."
Behind the top five, several well-known players are at 11-under, including Carlos Pigem (71) and Steve Lewton (69), with four more at 10-under, featuring veteran Bangladeshi Siddikur Rehman (67) and Korean Wooyoung Cho (74), who led after two rounds, along with recent Asian Tour winner Ekpharit Wu (70) and Wittchayat Sinsrang (69).
In a shotgun start format, Jazz Janewattananond, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, began strongly with three birdies in his first five holes and finished with four in his last six, interspersed with seven pars from the 15th to the third.