Bharath Classic Gujarat: Thailand’s Poosit Clinches Title With Birdie On Final Hole, Baisoya Finishes Third

Bharath Classic Gujarat: Thailand’s Poosit clinches title with birdie on final hole, Baisoya finishe (Image Source: IANS)

Indian Golf Premier League: Poosit Supupramai of Thailand won the inaugural $500,000 Bharath Classic Gujarat, finishing one shot ahead of aggressive Korean Woo-young Cho at Kensville Golf Resort near Ahmedabad on Sunday. Poosit (69) birdied the 18th and final hole of the day to hold off Wooyoung Cho (65), even as Sachin Baisoya dominated Kensville Golf Resort with a 10-under 62. His impressive round included two remarkable birdie streaks – one with six consecutive birdies and another with four in a row.

His brilliant performance on the final day saw him tied for third place, making him the best Indian finisher at the event co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL). Poosit’s final round of 69 secured his first Asian Tour victory, finishing with a total score of 18-under par 270. Cho (65) ended just one shot behind on 17-under 271. Poosit also earned the Asian Tour card with this win.

Baisoya, a frequent participant on the IGPL Tour yet still seeking his first victory, was tied for the lead at 15-under par with overnight leader Jazz Janewattananond, as well as Thailand's Panuphol Pittayarat and Ekpharit Wu. Although an Indian win was not achieved, it was still a successful week for them, with four players finishing in the Top-10 and a total of eight in the Top-20.

As Baisoya finished third, Yuvraj Sandhu, a multiple winner at his home course, significantly improved his chances on the Asian Tour with a seventh-place finish, scoring 14 under 274.

Ahmedabad Amateur Ishaan Chawhan, who had an impressive week, couldn't maintain his early momentum and shot 71, though he remained under par throughout all four rounds.

With a score of 13-under, he was tied for eighth place alongside IGPL Order of Merit leader Aman Raj, who shot 68, and two Thai players, Settee Prakongvech with 68 and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam with 65.

Pukhraj Singh Gill (69) was tied for 12th place at 12-under par, while Ajeetesh Sandhu (69) and Khalin Joshi (66) were tied for 17th at 11-under par. Saptak Talwar (66) was tied for 19th.

The first US$500,000 Bharath Classic was jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) Tour. The IGPL has three additional events scheduled for 2025, while it was the second-to-last tournament of the season on the Asian Tour.

This week was crucial for players aiming to improve their position on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit to secure spots for the next year. Additionally, the top four on the IGPL will earn entry into the final stage of the Asian Tour Q-School and qualify for the 2026 International Series India.

The soft-spoken Poosit, whose top finish on the Asian Tour was sharing third place at last year’s SJM Macao Open, said, “Amazing, I can’t believe it. I was struggling on the front nine; I was not playing well. It was all about mindset – that got me through.

“I came here to try and improve my ranking on the Merit list. It was on my mind, not winning. But to secure my card this week with the win, it’s beyond my dreams.

“Before the last two tournaments, I changed the loft and lie on my putter. It made such a big difference – I started holing putts.”

The highlight of the day, however, came from Sachin Baisoya, who shot a bogey-free 62 on Sunday. Starting from the 10th tee with the shotgun start system used over the final two days here, Baisoya began with six consecutive birdies to reach the turn at this par-72 course on 6 under 30.

On the front nine, he continued his impressive streak with four consecutive birdies from holes two to five, followed by two crucial par saves on holes 18 and one. “I owe this round a lot to my iron play today,” Sachin said later.

“I practised for about an hour yesterday as I felt I was hitting my irons badly for the last three or four tournaments. I also took some coaching from Sudhir Sharma, who told me not to worry and just play my natural game.

“So the plan was to try something different today from the first four days, and that is exactly what happened today from the start. Most of my shots landed between three and five feet, and also my putting was very solid.”

The modest Chawhan mentioned that his four days here felt like an extended golf lesson. The 22-year-old left-handed player, who was sidelined for over two years due to injuries, said, “Playing with all the Asian Tour players, watching them and talking to them has been a learning experience.

“I went in with the mindset that I had nothing to lose save making a point to myself. I was away from golf for different phases, which added up to one-and-a-half years, with injuries to the wrist and knee, and this is my first full season in four years.”

On what helped him bring in impressive cards of 67, 69, 68, and 71 this week, Chawhan said, “Even though I play here regularly, the course was set up differently from what we get as amateurs, and that was a challenge. For me, the highlight of the week has to be my iron play as the other aspects of my game weren’t that great.”

Asked what he was planning to do next, the Vijay Divecha trainee added, “I might turn pro, but will have a talk with my coach first. Right now, the focus is on the All-India Amateur (in mid-December) at Tollygunge Club.”

On what helped him bring in impressive cards of 67, 69, 68, and 71 this week, Chawhan said, “Even though I play here regularly, the course was set up differently from what we get as amateurs, and that was a challenge. For me, the highlight of the week has to be my iron play as the other aspects of my game weren’t that great.”

He added, “But for a few shots and putts that I left out there, I could have been in much closer contention (at 14 under, five shots behind winner Poosit) than I was.”

Article Source: IANS