June 29, 2014. Gaganjeet Bhullar completed a steady week in Cologne with a 2-under 70 to finish the tournament at 12-under 276. The Kapurthala man was T-34 as we publish this report, but there were still plenty of golfers still out on the course. Thongchai Jaidee made a superb 65 to own the clubhouse lead at 18-under 270, before Fabrizio Zanotti usurped it. Sergio Garcia also made a 65, but in the end that might only be good enough for a top twenty finish for the Spaniard. A large group of men were still on the course within a stroke or two of Jaidee even as Zanotti was looking to snatch outright victory. The Italian signed his card at 19-under 269 to lay claim for honours at the BMW International Open.
Bhullar made a bogey on the par-4 second hole but a sturdy effort for the rest of the day saw him make a series of pars and three birdies to sign off with a 70. The Indian’s best effort came in the first round when he made a 67 to get off to a promising start. Once Jeev Milkha Singh, Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Kapur failed to survive the cut, Bhullar was the lone Indian in the fray.
Thailand’s Jaidee fueled his chances with a 66 in the second round, but a 68 on Saturday left him in the mid-section of the leaderboard. A spotless effort on Sunday though provided him the buoyancy needed to rise up the chart. He seems set to finish T-3 behind Zanotti and Gregory Havret.
Overnight leader Pablo Larrazabal was looking to finish strong, having reached the 14th hole at 17-under, just two short of the mark at the top. Sergio Garcia made seven birdies to card his best round for the week to lie just outside the top ten.
Zanotti emulated Jaidee and Garcia by scoring a 65, with not a single botched effort as he rode into the lead on the back of seven birdies – three on the front and four on the back. A playoff was looming even as we posted this report, with both Zanotti and Havret tied at 19-under 269.
Reporting by Anand Datla
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