STORY BY AKSH GUPTA

Karandeep Kochhar closes with a hattrick of birdies to secure T5 and INR 69 lakh at the International Series Japan opener.

India’s Karandeep Kochhar delivered a strong closing statement in Japan, finishing T5 at the International Series Japan and pocketing USD 74,300 (approx INR 70 lakh) after a bogey-free final round highlighted by three consecutive birdies to close.

The Indian signed off with birdies on 16, 17 and 18 to climb into the top five at 12-under 272, finishing just three shots behind Australia’s Travis Smyth, who sealed the title with a dramatic eagle on the final hole.

The result marks one of the rare top-five finishes by an Indian on the Asian Tour’s elite International Series events in recent years, underlining Kochhar’s growing presence in high-strength fields. His bogey-free Sunday also stood out in a leaderboard packed with late charges and low scoring.

Starting the final round after a difficult Saturday, Kochhar stayed patient early before igniting on the back nine. A birdie on the 16th triggered the surge, and he followed it with two more at 17 and 18 to secure the T5 finish.

While Kochhar was climbing, Smyth produced the decisive moment. The Australian rolled in a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-five 18th for a seven-under 64 to win at 15-under, edging Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita by one.

For Kochhar, the finish delivers not just a top-five result and INR 70 lakh cheque, but also strong momentum heading into the next stretch of the Asian Tour season.