Bhullar keen to strike it rich at Singapore Open

As things happened, Bhullar, who only the previous week had come second in Indonesia, had set the bar a bit too low considering his own phenomenal talent. He missed the cut, and then made the Tour card on the very last day of the final full field event in Cambodia with a sensational 64 on the last day.

A year later, Bhullar stands at the same green, but this time carries the aura of a winner. He has won once - yes, in Indonesia, and finished in top-10 five other times. He stands fifth in the Asian Tour Order of Merit and has been marked down as one of the best talents from India and Asia. “Life has changed so much. My goals have become different. It has been a great year in India (where he won five titles) and in Asia. But I don’t want to rush,” says Bhullar.

“Playing a Major (British Open) and travelling to various parts of the world have helped me. I am still learning, and it has been a fantastic year.”

The Indian angle in this $5 million event, which is being co-sanctioned with European Tour for the first time, is pretty huge.

Apart from three winners from this season, Jyoti Randhawa (winner of Thailand Open), Bhullar (winner of President Invitational, Indonesia) and Muniyappa (winner of Hero Honda Indian Open), the field also includes SSP Chowrasia, Digvijay Singh and Gaurav Ghei as the other Indians. Barring Digvijay, the other five have all won on Asian or European Tours in the recent past.

Bhullar, considering his recent form, could well be India’s best hope in the absence of defending champ Jeev Milkha Singh.