Bhullar prepares short game grind ahead 2013 season

Kuala Lumpur, Jan 21 (IANS) Gaganjeet Bhullar of India believes a sharpened short game will lead him to more glory as he aims to better last season’s successful campaign when the 2013 Asian Tour season begins next month.

The talented Indian enjoyed one of his best years in 2012, winning twice at the Yeangder Tournament Players’ Championship in Chinese Taipei and the Venetian Macau Open. He also capped his season with six other top-10s across the region to finish a career high fifth on the Order of Merit with $451,245 in earnings.

“It was a great season. I had a couple of top-10s, top-fives and two victories. There’re still a lot to learn but I have a lot of positives from last season,” said Bhullar.

“I’ve been trying to stay patient for a long time and I think I handled it well. Patience and a good short game will definitely help me over the years. I would love to practice day-in and day-out on my short game and bring it up to a higher level,” added the 24-year-old.

Bhullar, who is amongst a new generation of stars to emerge from India, showed he could hold his ground against the elites of the game when he posted a top-10 outing at the CIMB Classic sanctioned by the Asian Tour and PGA Tour. However, it was still his wire-to-wire triumph at the Macau Open which stood out the most for him.

“The victory at the Macau Open was the highlight of the season. Every victory is special but the win in Macau was very special because I won it wire-to-wire. I’ve done that a couple of times in India but to do it on the international level proves that you are a frontrunner,” he said.

Despite enjoying a stellar season, Bhullar, lamented the missed opportunity of contending in his national Open which was held for the first time at the Karnataka Golf Association course in Bengalore last year.

“If I could re-hit one shot, it will probably be at the Indian Open on Sunday. I played really bad on No.16 where I made a double bogey. I wish I could hit that tee shot on the fairway and maybe get a birdie and finish higher up on the leaderboard.

“There were a couple of low points (in 2012) but from my point of view, I usually look at things in a positive way and keep moving forward,” said Bhullar.