Eugenio Chacarra didn’t just walk into the clubhouse on Thursday at DLF Golf and Country Club—he strutted in, having turned a train wreck into a masterpiece.
The young Spaniard, known for his fearless play and ability to rise from the ashes like a golfing phoenix, fired a four-under-par 68 to take the clubhouse lead on the opening day of the International Series India.
And here’s the kicker: he was four-over through his first four holes. That’s right—four over.
But, as they say, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. And Chacarra finished in style with a blistering second nine, carding a six-under-par 30 that featured an eagle on his penultimate hole.
The man turned what could have been a walk of shame into a standing ovation.
A Round of Two Tales
Chacarra’s day started about as well as a diet during Thanksgiving. Opening on the 10th hole, he wobbled early, making a triple-bogey seven on the par-four 13th, then compounding the misery with a bogey on 14.
Most players would have checked out mentally and started planning their flight home. Not this guy.
Instead, Chacarra reeled off three straight birdies, dropped another shot at the 18th, and then put on a finishing stretch that would make even the great Seve Ballesteros tip his cap.
Four birdies and an eagle later, he found himself sitting atop the leaderboard with a score that looked like it had been assembled by two completely different golfers.
“It feels good to be back,” Chacarra said, looking as if he had just pulled off a magic trick.
“I’ve been grinding on my body, on my game, and it’s been a great offseason. I mean, I was four over through four, and I feel like I didn’t even miss a shot.
The first three holes, I had good looks for birdie, and then I hit a good iron shot that bounced off something—maybe a sprinkler head?
It almost went by the fence, and I made a seven without any bad shots. But I still came back.”
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the kind of confidence that makes you dangerous in this sport.
Fog, Frustration, and the Battle Ahead
A one-hour fog delay at the start of the day meant 42 players were unable to complete their rounds.
Among them was Japan’s Kazuki Higa, who was four under with three holes to play, and Australia’s Aaron Wilkin, sitting at three under with six remaining.
Also on the course when play was suspended: reigning U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau and LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann, both two under with two to go.
As the leaderboard took shape, Chacarra had two players nipping at his heels—Filipino Justin Quiban and Thailand’s Danthai Boonma, both finishing at two-under 70.
Quiban, who holed out for eagle from 122 yards on the par-four sixth, acknowledged just how brutal the course was playing.
“It’s a tough, tough course. One of the hardest we play,” Quiban admitted. “You can’t really chill out here, not at all. You have to have full focus every shot.”
Boonma, fresh off a strong eighth-place finish last week at the Smart Infinity Philippine Open, took a more Zen approach, rolling in four birdies against two bogeys.
“I played with no expectations today,” the two-time Asian Tour winner said. “That’s what made me play comfortably. Playing shot by shot and just keeping the momentum.”
Looking Ahead: Can Chacarra Hold On?
With the International Series India acting as the season opener for the 2025 International Series—part of the ten-event Asian Tour pathway to the LIV Golf League—this tournament carries significant weight.
Chacarra has been here before, winning the 2023 St. Andrews Bay Championship, and he’s looking every bit like a man ready to add another trophy to his collection.
Still, with half the field yet to finish their rounds and some heavy hitters lurking, Friday promises to be a showdown.
Will Chacarra’s blistering back nine hold up? Or will someone else emerge from the fog—both literal and metaphorical—to steal the spotlight?
One thing’s for sure: this week at DLF Golf and Country Club is shaping up to be one wild ride.
And if Chacarra keeps putting on performances like this, he won’t just lead the International Series India—he might just run away with it.
How to Follow the Action:
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For more information on The International Series, visit: InternationalSeries.com
