India’s Karandeep Kochhar produced one of the standout performances of the week on the Asian Tour, finishing fourth at the Philippine Golf Championship after briefly holding the outright lead midway through the tournament.

Playing at the Wack Wack Golf & Country Club in Manila, Kochhar showed his class with a sensational third round that completely changed the complexion of his week. Starting the day a few shots off the pace, the 26-year-old fired a bogey-free 7-under-par 65, a round that stood out as the lowest score recorded on the East Course in over two decades. That surge propelled him to the top of the leaderboard and firmly into title contention heading into the final day.

However, the closing round proved challenging. Under tougher conditions and mounting pressure, Kochhar was unable to replicate his earlier rhythm and signed off with a 77. The final-round stumble saw him slip down the leaderboard, but his overall total of 3-under-par was still good enough for a strong fourth-place finish in a competitive international field.

The tournament was won by South Korea’s Wooyoung Cho, who held his nerve on the final day to secure his first Asian Tour victory outside his home country. Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Australia’s Travis Smyth completed the podium with consistent performances across all four rounds.

For Kochhar, the result marks an encouraging step forward. Having earned his Asian Tour card through the Asian Development Tour late last year, the Indian golfer demonstrated that he has the scoring ability to contend at this level. While the final day will leave him with lessons to absorb, his third-round brilliance was a clear statement of intent.

Among the other Indians in the field, Shubham Jaglan, Ajeetesh Sandhu, and Shaurya Bhattacharya made the cut and finished further down the order, while experienced campaigner Rashid Khan exited after the halfway stage.