Incheon, Korea, October 2, 2016: India’s Gaganjeet
Bhullar recorded his sixth Asian Tour triumph at the Shinhan Donghae Open in
style as he overcame a five-shot overnight deficit with a sublime final round
of four-under-67 which featured a brilliant display of putting.
Bhullar (68-66-68-67), who was tied fourth at the end of
round three on Saturday, ended up with a tournament total of 15-under-269
to register a one-shot victory over Zimbabwean Scott Vincent and local lad
Taewoo Kim of South Korea
at the US$ 1 million event.
Gaganjeet, who last won on the Asian Tour in 2013, had hit a
rough patch over the last two seasons thanks to a wrist injury he suffered in
2014. But the 28-year-old from Kapurthala announced his return into the top
league of Asian golf with a clinical performance on Sunday that handed him his
seventh international title.
Bhullar began the day on a positive note with a birdie on
the second. However, a bogey on the fourth brought him back to level-par for
the day. He then gathered momentum with consecutive birdies on the sixth and
seventh, the latter being a 15-feet conversion.
Gaganjeet stepped on the accelerator with birdies on the
10th, 12th, 13th and 14th to build an imposing four-shot lead. The
strapping six-footer was in prime putting form as he sank a 30-footer on the
10thand two more putts from 12 to 15 feet on the 13th and 14th. He
unleashed a terrific tee shot on the par-3 12th which set up a three-feet
birdie conversion.
Bhullar had a momentary scare when he bogeyed the
16th and 17thbut a par on the closing 18th turned out to be good
enough to seal the title as Vincent couldn’t birdie the last to take the match
into a playoff even as it drizzled at the Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club.
Bhullar said, “I had no idea that I was leading by three
after the 15th. That’s when I looked at the leaderboard for the first time
today. When I realized that I was ahead by three, it gave me confidence and I
thought I was playing well and I just needed to continue to focus and stick to
my routine.
“The goal was to make a good start to the day and I achieved
that by being two-under through the front-nine. I kept the momentum going
thereafter. The birdies on the 10, 12, 13 and 14 were crucial as it could’ve
swung either way on that stretch. I hit most fairways and greens today except
for a couple at the end and that was good enough for a win.
“This win means a lot to me. The last time I won was back in
2013. I’ve gone through one of the lowest phases of my career over the last two
seasons when I also suffered a wrist injury. I lost my European Tour card and
my winner’s status on the Asian Tour in the last two years. I’m glad and proud
of myself that I’ve managed to overcome all the difficulties through my hard
work and determination. I thank my coach and my family for all their support
that helped me in getting my career back on track,” added Bhullar.
Bhullar thus became the second Indian to win the Shinhan
Donghae Open after Jeev Milkha Singh who won it back in 1994. The win has
propelled Gaganjeet from 61st place to 10th position in the Asian
Tour Order of Merit. He is also likely to make major gains in the world
rankings where he is currently placed 674th. The rankings will be
updated on Monday.
Uttam Singh Mundy, Director, PGTI, said, “On behalf of PGTI,
I extend my heartiest congratulations to Gaganjeet Bhullar for his
well-deserved victory at the Shinhan Donghae Open. This win signals a welcome
return to form for Gaganjeet whose hard work and perseverance have helped him
fight his way back into the top bracket of the Asian Tour. We’re proud of
Gaganjeet’s performance and wish him all the best for the future.”
Among the other Indians, Khalin Joshi (68-69-69-71) fired a
final round of even-par-71 to grab a share of 15th place at
seven-under-277 while Jyoti Randhawa (71-71-71-71) who shot four scores of
even-par-71, ended tied 54th with a total of even-par-284.
PGTI release
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