Capitalizing on his recent experience at the Mazagan Beach & Golf Resort, Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong fired a spectacular seven-under-par 65 to take a one-shot lead after the opening round of the am green IGPL Bharath Classic. The 26-year-old from Bangkok, who secured his entry into the US$500,000 Asian Tour event following an anxious wait after a third-place finish at the same venue last week, utilized his course knowledge to record eight birdies against a solitary bogey.

Youprayong set the early pace by attacking the challenging layout, playing his final 11 holes at six-under par. The standout moment of his round arrived at the ninth hole, where he misjudged a downwind approach but spectacularly chipped in from 15 yards out of the rough. He noted that his familiarity with the venue proved crucial in navigating the difficult conditions, as tournament officials extended the tees on every hole and the coastal winds blew significantly stronger than the previous week.

Trailing just one stroke behind the leader is a three-way tie for second place featuring India’s Karandeep Kochhar, Australia’s Will Florimo, and Austria’s Nicklas Regner, who all posted rounds of 66. Kochhar, representing the co-sanctioning Indian Premier Golf League (IGPL), rebounded impressively after missing the cut at the venue last week. Dedicating extensive practice hours to his putting from Monday to Wednesday, Kochhar sank seven birdies, attributing his success to improved pace control on the greens despite the course playing notably longer.

Regner credited a recent swing session with his coach in Austria for his solid performance, while Florimo relied on a brilliant tee-to-green display following a week off from the sport. Sitting two shots off the pace in a tie for fifth at five-under par are South Africa’s Ian Snyman, New Zealand’s Nick Voke, and Australian Jed Morgan. The competitors will continue their battle along the Atlantic coast before the Asian Tour departs for Rabat next week for the US$2 million International Series Morocco.