Sports News | Buoyed by Fatherhood, Bhullar Returns to Action as 15 Indians Tee Up at Hua Hin
Get latest articles and stories on Sports at LatestLY. Gaganjeet Bhullar will return to action for the first time this year as he along with 14 other Indians tee off at the Thailand Classic, the much talked about International Series of tournaments on the Asian Tour, at the Black Mountain Golf Club here on Thursday.
Hua Hin, Mar 2 (PTI) Gaganjeet Bhullar will return to action for the first time this year as he along with 14 other Indians tee off at the Thailand Classic, the much talked about International Series of tournaments on the Asian Tour, at the Black Mountain Golf Club here on Thursday.
Besides Bhullar, the other Indians in the field, include past Asian Tour winners like SSP Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur, Rashid Khan, Rahil Gangjee, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa and Ajeetesh Sandhu.
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Also in the field are young guns like Aadil Bedi, S Chikkarangappa, Honey Baisoya, Veer Ahlawat, Udayan Mane, Karandeep Kochhar and Veer Ahlawat.
Despite a couple of tough years, Bhullar is bullish ahead of his return to the Asian Tour spotlight this week.
Free from injury and illness and embracing life as a new father, the strapping Indian is eager to rediscover the form that caught the attention of the golfing world more than a decade ago.
Bhullar, who turns 34 in April, has repelled all negative thoughts and believes a resurgence is on the cards.
"I'm coming out with a new mindset. New season, new mindset. It's like starting from scratch."
In 21 starts last year, he managed just two top-10 finishes and missed no fewer than 11 cuts.
Further frustration came at the start of 2022 when he contracted Covid and was prevented from participating in the back-to-back Singapore events that belatedly brought the curtain down on the Asian Tour's 2020-21 season.
Although he arrives in Hua Hin languishing in 546th place in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), Bhullar insists he's back on the right path after a sobering fall from grace.
Consider that nine years ago, in March of 2013, Bhullar soared to 85th in the OWGR. Such was his career trajectory then that he was widely tipped to make it into the elite top-50.
It didn't happen then, but Bhullar, older and considerably wiser now, is optimistic of scaling those heights once more.
"By 2013 I'd reached a good level and wanted to get to the highest Tours. That didn't happen. But I am still confident of getting to where I want to. I am hopeful of soon getting back to where I was with my game. I feel my best is yet to come," he said.
"I haven't set any goals, as such. All I want to do is to play … and play well. The rest will take care of itself. I've spent 15 years in pro golf and I am now ready for the next 15. All I need to do is to play well."
Bhullar knows a thing or two about playing well. In terms of number of victories, he ranks fifth in the all-time list of Asian Tour winners (from 1995 to present).
With nine wins to his name, he's behind only Asian Tour legends Thaworn Wiractchant (18), Thongchai Jaidee (13) and Scott Hend and Prayad Marksaeng (both 10).
If he needed an added incentive to make it into double figures, then the arrival of a daughter, Farida, five months ago has done just that.
"I am loving fatherhood. My daughter has started recognising faces and voices. I've been waking up to her smile every morning – that was the positive of having been at home for last two months," said Bhullar, who fondly recalls having his wife by his side when he last tasted Asian Tour success, at the Fiji International in 2018.
"That was great to fly back with the trophy … and I had my wife to share the moment. Now I want to win for my daughter."
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)