Bhullar dropped from tied-6th after 2 rounds to finish tied-54th in Korea
11-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar’s campaign at the $930,000 GS Caltex Maekyung Open, held at the venerable Namseoul Country Club in Korea from May 1–4, ended in disappointment as the seasoned Indian pro slumped to a tied-54th finish following a sharp decline over the weekend.
After opening with rounds of 70 and 68, Bhullar appeared to be in contention at the halfway mark. However, a third-round 74 and a final-round 78 saw him slide sharply down the leaderboard, ending at 6-over-par 290. His closing round was marred by five bogeys and a double bogey, with his final five holes accounting for five shots lost—effectively dismantling his tournament.
Season so far: No Top-10 finishes in 2024
Bhullar (and India’s) last Asian Tour win was at the BNI Indonesia Masters in November 2023 when he finished 3rd on the final Asian Tour Rankings with the one win and five top-10s. In 2024, he managed only one Top 10 with a 7th-place finish at Black Mountain Championship in October last year.
More significantly, Bhullar was the lone Indian in the field in Korea, compared to previous editions of this tournament which has seen up to 12 Indians in the field. Indian starts in World Ranking tournaments have dwindled alarmingly in the past two years, which is seriously jeopardizing the chances of any Indian male qualifying for the 2028 Olympics.
Indian performances on Asian Tour
Bhullar’s struggle also reflects a broader trend of absence of Indian success on the Asian Tour in recent months. Anirban Lahiri, currently playing on the LIV Golf Tour, remains the only Indian to post top-10 finishes in recent Asian Tour events—a tied-5th at the International Series Qatar in November 2024, followed by a tied-10th at the International Series India earlier this year.
What’s Next
Bhullar is set to tee it up next at the $2 million International Series Japan this week, scheduled from May 8–11, where he is joined by six other Indian professionals—S.S.P. Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur, Rahil Gangjee, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Yuvraj Sandhu, and Jeev Milkha Singh. Of these players, only Yuvraj is in his 20’s and Ajeetesh in his 30’s, while the other Indians are all in their 40’s and 50’s. This mirrors the absence of fresh young globally competitive talent from India.
With elevated purses and a pathway to LIV Golf opportunities, the International Series is a key chance to regain form and make up ground on the Asian Tour Rankings. Indian golf fans are hoping the turnaround begins in Japan.