Gaganjeet Bhullar, the seasoned 36-year-old with 11 Asian Tour titles to his name, secured a tied-7th finish at the US$2 million Black Mountain Championship in Thailand, thanks to rounds of 65-66-66-72. His 19-under-par performance not only marked his first top-10 finish of the season but also his best result in 2024, signalling a resurgence as the year nears its conclusion. Bhullar earned US$53,000 (₹44.5 lakh) for his efforts, propelling him to 28th on the International Series rankings—currently the highest-ranked Indian in the standings.
Bhullar entered the final round with a two-stroke lead at 19-under, after posting three consecutive rounds in the mid-60s. Hot on his heels was his close friend John Catlin, who trailed by just two shots at 17-under. Both Bhullar and Catlin share a connection through their coach, Noah Montgomery, in California, under whom Bhullar trained until 2022. Bhullar co-led after a second-round 66, took the solo lead after another 66 on Day 3, but a closing 72 saw him miss out on a playoff with Catlin and Michael Maguire, ending his bid for a 12th Asian Tour title.
In 2024, Bhullar has competed in 11 events, making the cut in five, and sits 62nd on the Asian Tour’s rankings. With just six events left, players are fighting to secure a top-60 spot to retain their tour cards for 2025. However, as a multiple-time winner, Bhullar’s status on the Asian tour remains secure.
Khalin Joshi and Karandeep Kochhar were the only other Indians to make the cut, both finishing tied-53rd at 9-under.
Indians who missed the cut included –
Honey Baisoya (-5), Varun Chopra (-5), Rashid Khan (-5), Chikkarangappa S. (-2), S.S.P. Chawrasia (-1), Yuvraj Singh Sandhu (E), Ajeetesh Sandhu (+3) and Shiv Kapur (+8).
The tour continues in Thailand this week with its US$ 2mn International Series Thailand from Oct. 24-27.
Photo – Asian Tour