Gaganjeet Bhullar set several records with his Indonesian Open victory
34 year old Gaganjeet Bhullar broke a four year International title drought for Indians by claiming his own record setting 10th Asian Tour title at the US$ 500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at Pondok Indah Golf Course in Jakarta, Indonesia. Bhullar’s total of 20-under par with rounds of 68-67-68-65 was enough to give him a two stroke victory over compatriot and overnight leader Rashid Khan of Delhi and England’s Steve Lewton.
Bhullar was in irresistible form on Sunday, making three birdies on the front, and four on the back including three birdies on the trot from the 13th, when he took the lead and made no mistakes coming home.
Lewton had four birdies over his last seven holes, including the 17th and 18th to move into a tie for second.
Bhullar who dedicated his win to his 11-month old daughter Farida, back home, earned US$ 90,000 and moved up to 310th in the world rankings behind Anirban Lahiri on the PGA Tour at 91st and Shubhankar Sharma in Europe at 219th.
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Bhullar’s win ends a nearly four-year international winless streak for Indian pros. Bangalorean Khalin Joshi’s win at the Panasonic Open India in October 2018 was the last time an Indian won an international Tour event while the last overseas win was Bhullar’s Fiji International title back on Aug. 5, 2018, almost exactly four years ago.
His victory also extends his record as the most successful Indian player ever on the Asian Tour with 10 wins to Jyoti Randhawa’s eight. He now ranks 3rd in all time victories in Asia behind Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant’s 18 and Thongchang Jaidee’s 13 titles.
In addition, by winning the Indonesian Open for a third time, Bhullar joins an elite group of players who have won a National Open in Asia at least three times. The list includes Australian legend Peter Thomson, Hong Kong Open and Indian Open; Jyoti Randhawa, Indian Open; Adam Scott, Singapore Open; Japanese superstars Jumbo Ozaki and Tommy Nakajima, Japan Open; Taiwan’s famous Lu Liang-Huan, aka ‘Mr Lu’, Philippine Open and Taiwan Open; and Spanish star Miguel Angel Jimenez, Hong Kong Open.
Other Indians in the field included:
Ajeetesh Sandhu – T-19th (-11)
Shiv Kapur – T-27th (-9)
Udayan Mane – T-30th (-8)
Karandeep Kochhar & Veer Ahlawat – T-34th (-7)
M Dharma – T-45th (-6)
Chikkarangappa S. & Honey Baisoya – T-50th (-4)
Indians who missed the cut at 2-under 138:
Kshitij Naveed Kaul (-1)
Khalin Joshi (E)
S.S.P. Chawrasia & Viraj Madappa (+2)
Rahil Gangjee (+3)
Chiragh Kumar (+6)
Aman Raj (+10)
16 Indians will play this week at the Asian Tour’s US$ 1.5mn International Series at Tenah Merah Country Club in Singapore – Shubhankar Sharma, Shiv Kapur, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rahil Gangjee, Rashid Khan, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Chikkarangappa S., Viraj Madappa, Aman Raj, S.S.P Chawrasia, Veer Ahlawat, Jyoti Randhawa, Jeev Milkha Singh, Honey Baisoya. Chiragh Kumar and Singapore based amateur Yash Majmudar.
Credits:-
Photo – Asian Tour