Korean Heemin Chang took the lead on day one of the Bharath Classic 2025 Gujarat today at Kensville Golf Resort, near Ahmedabad – remarkably, playing the course for the first time.

He shot an eight-under-par 64 having arrived late last night and unable to play a practice round. Despite that he leads from Pukhraj Singh Gill from India, Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond and Poosit Supupramai, and Korean Wooyoung Cho, who shot 66s.

Ajeetesh Sandhu and Udayan Mane from India, plus Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang and Filipino Sean Ramos are in a large group tied for sixth, after 67s.

Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu, the rookie who won the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open recently, is also in that group.

This week’s inaugural US$500,000 event is being joint-sanctioned with the newly-launch Indian Golf Premier League Tour. It’s the sixth stop on the Indian Tour but the penultimate tournament of the season on the Asian Tour. It means players are jostling for final positions on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, in order to confirm their playing status for next year.

“It’s a good result, as it’s my first time here,” said Chang, who is 127^th on the Merit list.

“The greens were slower than I expected but I adapted well, and my course management was good.”

He tied for sixth in the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open earlier this month, giving him the belief for a strong finish to the year.

Jazz Janewattananond.

The Korean was in the third group out this morning and after a relatively quiet front nine that saw him turn in two under with birdies on five and six he caught fire on the second half. He made three birdies in a row from 10, dropped his only shot of the day on 14, before making eagle on 15 and closing birdies on 16 and 18.

He added: “My game has been good lately. It is my first time in India, I came for the experience, I came to win.”

A win would most definitely secure his playing rights for next year in the space of one tournament. It’s the goal of everyone here this week.

Gill has the benefit of arriving here soon after his maiden victory in the pro game. He claimed the IGPL Invitational 2025 Jamshedpur two weeks ago. It was just the fourth leg of the tour, and he won it by the comfortable margin of nine shots. He now sits in second place on the rankings.

He said: “Great first day. I know this course fairly well. We have quite a few tournaments here. It’s been a good track. They’ve had Challenge Tour events in the past, and a lot of main PGTI events. So yes, I think that definitely helped. Yeah, solid off the tee. Great on the green.

“I was very excited for this week, because Asian Tour is back in India after quite some time, and to have it at Kensville is pretty damn good.”

Cho, part of the Korean team that won gold at the Asian Games in 2023, is another player looking for a strong finish to ensure a top-65 finish on the Merit list, which ensures you keep your card for next year.

He’s one of Korea’s most exciting young golfers, with great things expected of him. However, he is currently in 56^th on the rankings, after an unexpectedly poor year dogged by putting woes.

Pukhraj Singh Gill.

“I have had big problems with my putting. Sometimes even four putts, a lot of three putts,” he explained

Like Chang he tied for sixth in Taifong thanks to vastly better form on the short grass.

“I changed to a new putter that week and I am still using it. I am much more hopeful now of playing better,” he added.

Chan is in 75^th on the Merit and is desperate to need of two good final tournaments, with the season-ending Saudi Open presented by PIF to be held the week after next.

He is a five-time winner on the Asian Tour, the most recent being in the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, and is unaccustomed to losing his card.

“I had a shoulder injury most of the year. It’s been a big problem. I have been doing physio, gone to hospital. It’s about 80 to 85% ok now,” he commented.

“I am just trying to keep calm. This course is very good, very different. Really important to find the fairway from the tee, then you are fine. Hopefully this week I can get a top five. Don’t think too much, yeah. Just enjoy. Focus on my tempo and then focus every shot.”

Pictures by Jaydeep Singh Jadeja/Asian Tour.