Nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar will bid to further enhance his credentials this week by becoming the first player to win Indonesia’s national golf Open on three occasions.
He tees-off in the US$500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open on Thursday, at Pondok Indah Golf Course, and feels his hattrick attempt is a real possibility as all the indicators point to a return to the kind of form that saw him win the more titles on the Asian Tour than any player from his country.
“I’m definitely on the way back,” said the 34-year-old from Amritsar – who last won an Asian Tour event in 2018, at the Fiji International.
“I don’t know how close but definitely I’m on the mend. The process which I’m doing and the routine which I follow will definitely get me back soon.
“I mean, I know I’m ready to play well, because after 2018 the last four or five years I’ve been totally dedicated to playing in Europe. And, coming back on to the Asian Tour and the Asia reminds me of all the nine wins I’ve had here. And you know, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia, Thailand, these are the countries where I’ve enjoyed a lot of success. And the goal is just to play well and get back in the winning circle.”
Bhullar first claimed this event in 2013, at Damai Indah Golf, Pantai Indah Kapuk Course, and then triumphed again in 2016, here at Pondok Indah.
He added: “I’m back in Indonesia after a gap of five years and it is just a great feeling. You know, especially on the golf course where you have played and you’ve played well and you have won, it reminds me of all the good memories, all the good shots which I’ve had.”
Should he succeed this week the Indian star will outshine three of the greats of Asian golf in Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, Frankie Minoza from the Philippines, and Chinese-Taipei’s Lu Hsi-chuen, who have won this week’s tournament twice.
“Recently I’ve been hitting the ball really well. I’ve been working a lot on my game and my fitness level and personally I think I’m mentally quite relaxed and I’m mentally in a good frame of mind right now,” said Bhullar.
A desire to increase his swing speed led to him getting fitter and losing weight.
Said Bhullar: “I had to lose a few kgs which I did in the off season. And now I guess I’m hitting the ball good. I can also shape the ball both ways easily. That was the main goal. And I think at the end of the day, we all work a lot on the putting. So, putting is one thing which I’ve tried to improve in the last season also.”
It’s all a far cry from the start of 2022 when Bhullar was out of action for three weeks with a heavy dose of COVID-19. It looks like the second half of season promises to make amends.
