Jakarta, July 26 - Gaganjeet Bhullar announced his arrival as the next big golfing star from India when he turned in yet another dominating performance with a flawless five-under 67 to win the Indonesia President Invitational 2009 Sunday, his first professional title on the Asian Tour.
He buried the ghosts of 2007 and totalled a brilliant 22-under 266 with rounds of 69, 68, 62 and 67.
'It feels good to land my first title on Asian Tour. after playing the British Open, winning a title on Asian Tour was my next goal. I have been fortunate to achieve it in the very next week. After the disappointment of 2007, where I lost the title as Juvic Pagunsan had a birdie-eagle finish, it is indeed a great feeling,' said Bhullar, who last week made his Major debut.
'I've won three times on the Indian circuit this year and my goal a few months back was to win on the Asian Tour and this will get me into all the co-sanctioned events now and give me a lot of confidence in my coming years,' said Bhullar, who received his trophy from Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
At 21, Bhullar becomes the youngest Indian to win a title on an International Tour, beating the previous record of Jeev Milkha Singh and Shiv Kapur, who were both 23 when they won their first title in Asia. Jeev was 23 when he won the 1994 Shinhan Donghae Open a year before the Asian Tour was born and Kapur was 23 when he won the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2005.
Bhullar is the eighth Indian after Jeev, Gaurav Ghei, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal, Rahil Gangjee, Shiv and S.S.P. Chowrasia to win on the Asian Tour.
Of the other Indians, Rahil Gangjee, who had an eagle two in the midst of three-bogey spell from fifth to eighth holes, was on fire on the back nine.