Gaganjeet

Bhullar

Winner of the 2018 Fiji International, the 31-year-old Indian’s exemption ran out at the end of 2019, but he clung on to his card with the 115th and final card in what was just his second full season on the European Tour. Intriguingly his two full seasons, at first glance, appear very similar: he went 16-for-24 in 2014 with one top ten and 16-for-25 last year, again with just one top ten. But whereas last year he managed 115th, six years ago he was 183rd. The difference? Six top 40s first time around against 12 last year. Thus far in 2020 he is struggling, going 2-for-5 with T50 in the Dubai Desert Classic his best effort. His best efforts on the European Tour hint at a golfer who likes his holes framed. The Fiji win came Natadola Bay (with foliage lining the fairways). He also has top 25s at the tree-lined Hong Kong GC, Valderrama, Saujana and Karen GC, and T25 at Hillside which features fairways threading through high sand dunes.

That effort left the Indian T3 in the clubhouse, five swings behind the pace-setter Christiaan Bezuidenhout, but looking like he’d finish the second lap about tied tenth at Real Club Valderrama in southern Spain. He made early errors playing the back nine first, squaring the tenth and 15th, but responding with birdies at the 11th, 17th and 18th. On the front nine he added eight pars and the one bogey at the second. He lies 79th on the Race to Dubai and has now made 13 cuts in 15 2019 starts. On the other hand he has made just one top 20 (T5 at the Kenya Open).

That was just two shots back from winner Guido Migliozzi and, like plenty in the field this week, he was left to rue what might have been. In Bhullar’s case it was a pair of double bogeys in his final round, the first at the par-3 4th and the second at the par-4 13th. He also dropped a shot at 9 but kept himself in the hunt with seven birdies, the last two at 15 and 17. The stats this week suggest that Bhullar relied heavily on his flatstick. He ranked 1st for Putts per GIR and Putts Per Round but hit just 44.4% of GIR.

The Indian’s first title came in the Fiji International, a somewhat implausible ET sanctioned event given that hardly anyone from the tour plays it, but he is making the most of his opportunity and is 6-for-6 this season, all of those weeks ending T40 or better, but this promises to be his first top 20 – and, of course, he’ll be hoping for much more. He gained the chance by bursting from the blocks in both nines. Heading to the turn he ticked the first and second, then the fifth and sixth, before an error at the seventh. Coming home he circled the 11th, 13th and 17th only for a bogey at the 18th to cost him a share of second. He’ll be encouraged by the truth that he is the only player in the top five with a win at this level.

That’s just one behind second place although five back from clear leader Louis De Jager. The Indian twirled a bogey-free 65 on day one but immediately dropped a shot on his return to Karen CC today when taking five swishes at the 10th. He quickly recovered and looked set to emerge as De Jager’s nearest rival after picking off birdies at 11, 13, 17 and 3 to hit 9-under. But teeing off at the par-5 6th hole just three back, he stumbled to a bogey-6 and a walk-off square at 9 just soured his day a little. The World No. 142 remains in a strong position though and has plenty of time to reel in De Jager this weekend.

That’s just a single swing more than joint-leaders Jack Singh Brar and Louis De Jager. The Indian has a perfect 6-for-6 slate on the European Tour this season but hasn’t quite been able to go through the gears as all those finishes were between T27 and T40 inclusive. That said, he was third at halfway in tricky conditions in Oman and T10 after round one in Qatar last week so there have been hints at something much better. He laid the foundation for that today with a well-constructed lap featuring six birdies and 12 pars. An opening circle set the tone and he made his move by connecting a trio of red numbers from Nos. 6-8. Despite failing to birdie the par 5s at 11 and 12, Bhullar pressed on and ticked 14 and 17 to finish one back. Like the two leaders, he has a morning tee-time for his second round.

The Indian has flown under the radar since winning the Fiji International in the middle of last year. The tournament granted him full status on the European Tour and he has taken advantage of it, going 6-for-7. In this season alone he is 4-for-4 and whilst he lacks a top 25, he is 58th in the Race to Dubai and has made the top 40 in all three Middle Eastern starts. Now he gets the chance to make it four from four at Al Mouj Golf. Playing from the tenth tee in his second lap he ticked 12, 14 and 15 on the back nine, then 2 and 3 on the front. He had possession of the lead heading towards the clubhouse only to drop shots at 6 and 8, but plenty were doing that in gusty conditions.

If we’re learning anything during the two-tournament Asian Swing, it’s that Bhullar is a baller. He tied for 10th at last week’s CIMB Classic for his ninth top 10 in just 19 starts this year. That record includes two wins and a pair of seconds. The Indian signed his card today just one stroke off the 54-hole clubhouse lead. He rolled in four birdies each on par 4s and par 5s today, and has played his last 30 holes in bogey-free 12-under. He’s 12-under 204 through three rounds.

Bhullar also posted a 65 in his opening round, so he’s grinding back from a second-round 72. In today’s loop of The MINES Resort & Golf Club, he erased one bogey with seven birdies. Through three rounds, he’s converted an eagle and 16 birdies. At the time he signed his card, he sat four strokes off the lead.

The 24-year-old Indian has enjoyed a solid year thanks to a pair of victories and another six top 10s on the Asian Tour. At The MINES Resort & Golf Club today, he sandwiched a lone bogey at the par-4 ninth holes with an eagle and five birdies. Bhullar arrived in Kuala Lumpur sitting 119th in the Official World Golf Ranking.