Ishaan's Inspiring Comeback: Local Amateur Leads Indian Charge at Bharath Classic

Chawhan, who turned 22 four weeks ago, shot 68, his third straight round in the 60s, to reach 12-under and was tied third, up from sixth overnight.

Chawhan, whose last three appearances on the amateur circuit have produced Top-5 results, including one at the Gujarat Amateurs at this very course, is three shots behind the Thai duo of the pedigreed Jazz Janewattananond (65) and the unheralded Poosit Supupramai (66), who had an ace on the 16th and a birdie on the 18th.

They are at 15-under and three shots ahead of the trio at Tied-third, who include first round leader, Korean Heemin Chang (71), Thai Panuphol Pittyarat (70), whose last Asian Tour win came in 2018.

Ishaan Chawhan plays a lot at the nearby Kalhaar Blue course and Kensville. His last win on the amateur tour was in 2022 at the Western India Amateurs.

"I have suffered injuries in the knee, back and wrist and lost a lot of time. Only in the last year or so have I been getting back my game in shape," said the soft-spoken Ahmedabad-based Chawhan. "I hurt my knee playing football and then came other injuries."

"I play a lot at Kalhaar and also the Kensville," said Chawhan, whose last amateur event was at this course less than a month ago, and he was a Top-5 finisher. "I like this course," he added. The way he plotted his way around the course and managed it well, showed his familiarity with the track.

Chawhan started from the tenth alongside Gill and Steve Lewton. After four pars, he had back-to-back gains but dropped a shot on the 18th. Playing steadily, he picked three more birdies on the third, sixth, and the ninth and most importantly, did not drop any shots as he putted well and put himself in Tied-third and in the Top five with one more day to go.

Chawhan smiled and said, "I am not getting ahead and am just going to keep playing the way I have."

Four other Indians lurked close by at 9-under, including IGPL Order of Merit leader and two-time winner on the IGPL Tour, Aman Raj (66), who, after a modest opening 73, has shot 68-66 in the next round. There was also Pukhraj Singh Gill (71), another IGPL Tour winner, Shaurya Binu (69), Indian Tour leader Yuvraj Sandhu (69) and Thailand's Settee Prakongvech (69).

Ajeetesh Sandhu (70), trying to ensure an Asian Tour card for next year, was tied-17th, but at 8-under, he was seven shots behind the two leaders.

Aman Raj birdied each of the four Par-5s and had seven birdies against one bogey, while Yuvraj Sandhu had four birdies against one bogey.

Aman, who has been in good form this season, said, "It was good to get in a low score and there is one more day to go."

Binu, who has one pro win to his name, had five birdies, including three in a row from the fifth to the seventh and one more on the ninth. Binu, who started from the third, had another birdie late in his round on the first, his 17th hole of the day.

Gill said, "My driving was shabby today, but I hung in and fought well to shoot one under.

Behind the top five, there were quite a few well-known names at 11-under, including the likes of Carlos Pigem (71) and Steve Lewton (69), and then there were four more at 10-under. They were veteran Bangladeshi Siddikur Rehman (67), Korean youngster Wooyoung Cho (74), who had led after two rounds, recent Asian Tour winner Thailand's Ekpharit Wu (70) and Wittchayat Sinsrang (69).

Starting from the tenth on a day when the tournament adopted the shotgun start, the pedigreed Jazz Janewattananond, a former Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, began strongly with three birdies in his first five holes and finished with four in his last six holes. In between, he had seven pars from the 15th to the third.

- IANS