14-year-old Chaitanya Pandey won the IGU North East Amateur Golf Championship 2025 by one shot at the par-71, 6038 yards Jorhat Gymkhana Club, finishing at 1-under 283 (72-71-68-72).
Delhi’s Deepak Yadav pushed him all the way, closing with a 2-under 69—his best round of the week—but ended up second at even-par 284. Arin Ahuja (73-73-71-68) and Anshul Mishra (74-68-72-71) shared third at 1-over 285, underlining how tight the finish was.
But the bigger question sits beyond the trophy: should a short course like Jorhat carry this much weight in shaping rankings and, by extension, Indian team selections? India’s amateur teams have struggled badly overseas—events like the Nomura Cup (Asia Pacific Team Amateur) are played on courses 1,000–1,200 yards longer, with very different conditions and demands. If selection is meant to identify players who can travel, contend and score abroad, the domestic test has to mirror that reality more often.
It’s a timely conversation, too, with the IGU All India Ladies headed to Jaipur this week—another moment to ask whether our competitive pathway is preparing players for world class competition in conditions very different from where a national championship is being played.
Photo – Chaitanya Pandey IG
