Bhullar won the first two IGPL events
37 year old Gaganjeet Bhullar captured his second straight Indian Golf Premier League (IGPL) title, but the league’s boost for the 15 year old Kartik, was the real story at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida.
15-year-old leader Kartik Singh, who elected to join the pro ranks early, was leading at 7 under par going into the final round, promising a sensational upset win over the seasoned pros, but some late hiccups, coupled with a charging 64 from Bhullar, saw him ending in a still creditable 3rd place and picking up a cheque of Rs 10 lacs.
Despite a closing bogey, Bhullar won the ₹1.5 crore event by two shots, pocketing ₹22.5 lakh for the 2nd consecutive week. The other IGPL players will be happy to note that Bhullar will now move to the Asian Tour where he will play for bigger stakes in tougher fields and world ranking points.
Diverse Field, Equal Stakes
The 2nd IGPL event again sought to attract attention by featuring men, women, senior pros, rising youngsters, and amateurs in one competition. The 53-player field included icons like Shiv Kapur, veterans such as Gaurav Ghei, teenage pros Kartik Singh and Veer Ganapathy, leading amateurs Arshvant Srivastava and Ayan Dubey, plus women stars Amandeep Drall, Astha Madan and Neha Tripathi.
Amandeep Drall was the top ranked lady finisher at tied 11th at one-over 213 to earn about ₹2.5 lakh— which is a bigger cheque than winners receive on the Hero Women’s Golf Association of India Tour. By placing men and women, teenagers and seasoned pros on the same platform competing for the same prize money, IGPL creates a valuable opportunity for lesser known players.