SPECIAL REPORT BY Rajlakshmi Retesh
December 27, 2013: Growing numbers of winners in the international circuit every year justify the buzz that Indian golf is steadily getting on track. Delhi’s Shiv Kapur, Kapurthala boy Gaganjeet Bhullar and Bangalore youngster Anirban Lahiri were the spotlight boys of this season. While, seasoned Jyoti Randhawa saw his return of form with two top ten finishes this year.
The 31-year-old Shiv Kapur was the Indian in his best form, after claiming two victories on the Challenge Tour this year and retaining his European Tour card for 2014. Ranked 145th on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) and 63rd in Race to Dubai ranking, Kapur displayed some steady golfing talent this year.
He put a seal on a glorious first season on the Challenge Tour in 2013 when he won the prestigious season-ending Dubai Festival City Challenge Tour Grand Final hosted by Al Badia Golf Club, moving from 20th to fourth place in the Rankings to earn a return to The European Tour at the 11th hour.
The year began as it finished, with victory, although the first one was a little closer to home as he won the Gujarat Kensville Challenge in the Indian city of Ahmedabad in January. He had lost his playing rights in 2012, bringing to an end a seven-year run on The European Tour. However, he is back on track.
[highlight] These players are highest ranked Indians on the Official World Golf Ranking (Anirban Lahiri@111, Shiv Kapur @145 and Gaganjeet Bhullar @148) [/highlight]
Kapurthala boy, Gaganjeet Bhullar has plunged back in-form this December, when he won his fifth Asian Tour title with the victory at Indonesia Open. He defeated Malaysian Nicholas Fung and Chapchai Nirat from Thailand. His first tournament win of the season pushed him up to fourth place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. The win improved Bhullar’s chances to qualify for the Ryder Cup-styled EurAsia Cup where the top four Asian players at the end of the 2013 season qualify for Team Asia.
Bhullar, 25 kick started his 2013 season on a positive note. In March, Bhullar finished runner-up at Avantha Masters, earning prize money of $258,700. In August, he became seventh golfer to receive the Arjuna Award since its introduction in 1961. Also saw some lows in his performance, especially at the World cup of Golf in Melbourne. Bhullar currently lies at 148th on OWGR.
The best placed Indian on OWGR as 111th, 26-year-old Anirban Lahiri made a great come back when he finished fourth amid elite field of Thai Golf Championship recently. Earlier this year in March, he retained his claim over SAIL-SBI Open for the second time, giving himself third Asian Tour victory.
Lahiri says that Vipassana meditation helped him to recover a lull period. He returned to his winning ways at the Hong Kong Open in first week of December, where he finished tied 12th. At Omega European Masters in September and M2M Russian Open in July, Lahiri stood 57th and 55th respectively. Ranked fifth on region’s leading tour, Lahiri is still waiting for a big win in 2014 when he plays on Asian Tour and European Tour.
Seasoned Jyoti Randhawa too had much to cheer about his form in win-less 2013. The eight-time Asian Tour winner showed his grit to return to form as he finished second at CJ Choi Invitational in Korea this October. Randhawa finished tied 13th at World Manila Masters. He is likely to retain his present form into the next year.
