FIRST INDIAN TO WIN CHALLENGE TOUR EVENT

FROM PAUL SYMES, CHALLENGE TOUR PRESS OFFICER
Gaganjeet Bhullar became the first Indian to win on the Challenge Tour after triumphing by one shot at the season-opening Gujarat Kensville Challenge, held in his homeland.
Bhullar battled with his nerves during a closing round of 75, but his five under par aggregate total of 283 was enough to see off England’s Matt Ford, who signed for a round of 70 to finish on four under par.
Such was the demanding nature of the course and conditions at the Jeev Milkha Singh-designed Kensville Golf Club in Ahmedabad, India, only six players finished under par.
After opening with a bogey Bhullar recovered by picking up a shot at the third hole, which he has birdied on all four days.
He immediately gave a shot back at the next hole, and after another bogey at the tenth Bhullar’s grip on the trophy appeared in some peril – especially when Ford ran up successive birdies on the 13th and 14th.
But Bhullar remained composed thereafter and, despite another bogey at the 17th hole, a par at the last sealed his victory.
The 22 year old rising star is now €32,000 richer but, perhaps more importantly, has written his name into the history books.
England’s Jamie Moul finished in third place courtesy of a best-of-the-day round of 69, whilst his compatriot Matthew Baldwin took fourth on two under par.
The only other players to finish below par were Bangladesh’s Siddikur Rahman (73) and Denmark’s Mads Vibe-Hastrup (72), who shared fifth place on one under par.
The Challenge Tour will now take a two month break before the season resumes with the Abierto International Copa Antioquia, in Colombia, from March 10-13.

FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
283 G Bhullar (Ind) 70 70 68 75 (32,000 Euros).
284 M Ford (Eng) 74 68 72 70 (22,000 Euros).
285 J Moul (Eng) 72 73 71 69 (14,000 Euros).
286 M Baldwin (Eng) 72 70 70 74,
287 M Vibe-Hastrup (Den) 70 76 69 72, M Siddikur Rahman (Ban) 67 74 73 73, 288 K Eriksson (Swe) 70 74 72 72.
289 F Praegant (Aut) 69 71 73 76
291 T Fleetwood (Eng) 74 71 74 72, R Santos (Por) 69 78 69 75,
292 C Ford (Eng) 73 74 75 70, C Macaulay (Sco) 72 73 75 72 (3,200 Euros each)
293 J Robinson (Eng) 74 73 70 76, G Lockerbie (Eng) 74 72 69 78, L Claverie (Esp) 72 74 74 73
294 R Mollah (Ind) 75 72 72 75, L Jensen (Den) 73 75 73 73
295 R Bain (Sco) 71 75 73 76, J Heath (Eng) 73 73 71 78, E Kofstad (Nor) 70 73 73 79, M Jaini (Ind) 71 74 73 77, J Campillo (Esp) 71 73 77 74 (2,252 Euros each).
296 A Tadini (Ita) 75 75 71 75, A Kumar (Ind) 75 71 73 77, M Cryer (Eng) 72 77 71 76, J Van Der Vaart (Ned) 74 70 79 73, T Sherreard (Eng) 77 72 72 75, B Akesson (Swe) 71 77 72 76, B Ritthammer (Ger) 76 72 74 74,
297 M Kumar (Ind) 73 76 71 77
298 D Denison (Eng) 69 73 76 80, W Besseling (Ned) 74 77 72 75, C Brazillier (Fra) 72 76 72 78, C Lloyd (Eng) 74 73 73 78
299 T Leon (USA) 77 73 74 75, R Sharma (Ind) 74 75 78 72, V Kumar (Ind) 72 73 74 80, R Khan (Ind) 77 70 73 79, C Kumar (Ind) 74 74 74 77,
300 C Lee (Sco) 72 79 74 75, R Murthy (Ind) 78 71 75 76, M Zamal Hossain Mollah (Ban) 75 75 73 77, S Syal (Ind) 75 74 72 79, J Garcia (Esp) 74 77 71 78 (1,160 Euros each).
301 M Sharma (Ind) 73 75 72 81, S Das (Ind) 74 72 76 79, R Neil-Jones (Eng) 76 74 77 74, U Weinhandl (Aut) 72 75 73 81
302 H Singh Rai (Ind) 75 74 74 79, R Singh (Ind) 75 75 74 78, V Kumar (Ind) 74 75 74 79, A Bruschi (Ita) 77 4 72 79
303 N Mandal (Ind) 78 71 78 76
304 E Dubois (Fra) 73 77 77 77, A Jha (Ind) 72 70 79 83
305 F Ali Mollah (Ind) 74 74 79 78
307 A Sandhu (Ind) 76 72 79 80
308 J Palmer (Eng) 73 76 79 80, D Brooks (Eng) 76 75 79 78,
309 I Pyman (Eng) 74 75 74 86
314 N Dawar (Ind) 80 71 80 83
317 S Sharma (Ind) 74 77 78 88
Retired: A Grenier (Fra) 73 72 77 ret


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