Chiba, April 4: Indian golfer Karan Deep Kochhar put in a strong effort to secure a tied fourth place in the third round of the International Series Japan held in Chiba. Competing for a prize pool of $2 million, Kochhar finished the round with a score of 2-over 73, bringing his total to 8-under 205. He trails Japan’s Shugo Imahara and Korea’s Hongtaek Kim by two shots, who are leading with scores of 10-under 203.
Kochhar started well with a birdie on the second hole but faced setbacks with bogeys on the third and fourth holes. He attempted to bounce back with a birdie on the sixth hole but lost strokes again on the ninth and twelfth holes. After making a birdie on the fourteenth and a bogey on the seventeenth, he concluded the day at 2-over.
Leader Kim maintained his advantage on the third day with a score of 72, remaining at 10-under overall. Imahara scored 71, tying him with Kim at the top. Korea’s Yubin Jung, who also scored 71, is in third place, while Australia’s Travis Smith and Kochhar are just one shot behind. Kim noted that he played well on the front nine but faced challenges on the back nine due to the wind. He aims to secure his second victory on the Asian Tour. Imahara encountered difficulties on the last nine holes with some poor shots on the fourteenth and fifteenth but managed to recover with a birdie. He aspires to be the first Japanese player to win this title.
Twenty-three-year-old Jung mentioned that he missed some early putts as the wind picked up, but he remained patient and finished the round with a good score. Along with Jung and Kim, Imahara will also compete on the final day. Last year, Australia’s Lucas Herbert won the inaugural edition of this tournament. Imahara, who has ten wins on the Japan Golf Tour Organization and has topped the JGTO money list since 2018, is among the favorites to watch.
The return of Travis Smith has added excitement to the leaderboard this season. After finishing third and fifth in the first two events, Jung is now second in the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The final day in Chiba is expected to be thrilling, as only four shots separate the top 25 players on the leaderboard.
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