Gaganjit Bhullar aims to win Shubhkamna Champions Golf

Gaganjit Bhullar aims to win Shubhkamna Champions GolfNoida: It was a day for who’s who is India’s golfing hierarchy to test the waters at the Noida Golf Course before the Shubhkamna Championship tees off on Thursday and there were quite a few anxious faces looking to get a feel of the conditions here. Among them was Gaganjeet Bhullar, who had an assured look through-out the practice session which explained exactly why he is being rated so highly by his competitors in this tournament.

The twice winner on the Asian Tour in 2012 was specially picked by the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal as one of the future star of Indian golf during the pre-event media interaction on Wednesday and Bhullar admitted that he was overwhelmed by the accolades.

“I played really well this year. I started the season around 400th in the world and right now I think I am 89 and that is a big jump this year. The goal is definitely to be in the top 50 and then top 10. And I will be working hard to take my game to the next level,” said Bhullar, who would be playing here for the first time since 2007.

“There are lot of big names this week. All I am thinking of to just do my bit, keep my mind focused and fingers crossed that I will win the trophy,” he added.

Bhullar said it was a great achievement for Indian golf that Jeev Milkha Singh was hosting his own tournament on the lines of some of the legends in world golf and thanked Rishi Narain Golf Management and title sponsors Shubhkamna for the initiative. “This time of the season when everybody has finished their Tour, there is no more golf happening anywhere in the world. So this is the perfect time and I think Shubhkamna, the way they have planned the whole series and the whole tournament it will definitely take up Indian Golf to the next level.”

The inaugural edition of the tournament, conceptualised by twice Asian Order of Merit winner Jeev Milkha Singh, has a unique format with the players vying for honours in a 54-hole stroke play contest which will feature the top-30 players on the PGTI tour and the Rs 60 lacs prize money distribution would be on the lines of the USPGA Tour’s Finale Tour championship.

The tournament will see in action 10 International tour members and 20 winners of 2012 PGTI tournaments. Apart from the trio, the list of participants includes young prodigy Anirban Lahiri, Asian Games gold medallist Shiv Kapoor, Bangaldesh’s top golfer Siddikur Rehman and the inform Gaganjeet Bhullar among others.

Speaking about the observation of Jeev and Indian Origin golfer Daniel Chopra that it was the fearless approach of the next generation of Indian golfers that is helping them make waves on the international circuit, Bhullar said, “Gone are the days when indians would be mentally and physically weak. Right now we guys are as good as any of the European or PGA tour players.

“I feel we guys are on the right path and it’s just a matter of time when somebody from us goes up there and make it big. And I think the day any Indian wins the Major, it will be a whole different ball game all together,” added the newest addition to the Million-Dollar Club from India.

Bhullar said he felt good about achieving the landmark but said his focus was to keep improving in every aspect of the game and knows that prize money and other perks would automatically follow. “Golf is such a game that if you keep playing well then money keeps flowing. So obviously after a while you only and only concentrate on playing Golf and playing well.”

 

By Indian Sports News Network

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