Golf: Niemann Enjoying Riding Shotgun at International Series India; DeChambeau, Lahiri tied 11th at DLF

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Gurugram, Feb 1: Joaquin Niemann took full advantage of the first-ever shotgun start on The International Series, positioning himself as the front-runner during the third round, on Saturday (February 1) of the International Series India presented by DLF.

The Chilean golfer reached seven under for the tournament at DLF Golf and Country Club after just eight holes before darkness forced play to be suspended. Japan's Kazuki Higa and Ollie Schniederjans from the United States are in close contention, trailing by one and three shots, respectively.

Niemann in Command at the toughest course in Asia

Niemann, who led after the second round, completed earlier in the day, continues to assert his dominance. The Chilean made a birdie on the third hole and parred the others in his third-round start. He and his group, which includes Higa and Schniederjans, will resume play from the ninth hole in the morning.

Thick fog has caused multiple delays throughout the tournament, prompting organizers to implement a shotgun start for rounds three and four to ensure completion by Sunday (February 2). Play is set to resume at 7:30 AM tomorrow, weather permitting, with the final round scheduled to begin at 11:10 AM.

Niemann Chasing the Title

Niemann is eyeing back-to-back International Series victories, having triumphed at the season-ending PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers in December.

Australian Travis Smyth and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra sit in joint fourth, four shots behind Niemann. US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, the biggest name in the field, is six strokes off the lead and will need a strong final push to contend for the title. He is tied 11th with fellow Crushers GC teammate Anirban Lahiri and Abraham Ancer of Mexico.

A Historic Shotgun Start

This marks the first shotgun start in International Series history, though the Asian Tour has previously implemented the format. Last year's Mercuries Taiwan Masters used shotgun starts on the weekend due to weather-related disruptions from Typhoon Krathon.

Kartik Singh Creates History

While Niemann controlled the top of the leaderboard, history was being made elsewhere on the course. Indian amateur Kartik Singh, just 15 years old, became the youngest-ever Indian to make the cut in an Asian Tour event. Singh shot a one-under-par 71 in the second round, securing a spot in the weekend rounds with a total score of four-over-par, well inside the eight-over-par cut line.

Singh, however, struggled on day three, dropping eight shots through nine holes to sit at 12 over par. Despite the setback, his achievement remains remarkable, and he was one of 10 Indian golfers to make the cut on the challenging Gary Player-designed course.

Among other Indian contenders, Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar were both at three-over through eight holes when play was suspended. Karandeep Kochhar was the only Indian to remain under par in the third round, finishing at seven-over-par after two birdies and one bogey through nine holes.

This inaugural US$2 million event is the first of the 2025 International Series and the second stop on the Asian Tour calendar, following last week's Smart Infinity Philippine Open.