Chandigarh, Sep 12 (NationPress) An early eagle followed by a late birdie, combined with astute course management honed over nearly two decades, enabled Gaganjeet Bhullar to finish with a 2-under 70 in the final round, making history as the inaugural IGPL Invitational Champion.

Bhullar, who boasts 11 Asian Tour titles—the highest by any Indian—demonstrated his prowess at the Chandigarh Golf Club, completing three impressive rounds of 70-71-70 for a total of 5-under and winning by two shots against the steady M Dharma.

Immediately after his victory, Bhullar stated, “This one is for the history books.” While many more champions will emerge in the coming weeks, Bhullar will forever be the first.

He earned a substantial prize of Rs. 22.50 lakhs from a total purse of Rs. 1.5 crores, while Dharma secured Rs. 15 lakhs. The trio of Veer Ganapathy, Kartik Sharma, and Shaurya Binu each took home approximately Rs. 8.7 lakhs.

Dharma, along with young talents Ganapathy and Binu, posed a significant challenge to Bhullar. Dharma’s rounds of 70-75-68 placed him second, putting up a commendable fight with a 5-under back nine, but two bogeys on his front nine proved costly.

Debutant Ganapathy (72-72-70), son of former pro Rahul Ganapathy, shared the third spot with another left-hander, Kartik Sharma (73-73-68), who recorded a 4-under 68, the best round of the tournament, alongside Binu (69-72-73). Binu had been tied for the lead for the first 36 holes.

Another promising player, Neil Jolly, and seasoned pro Kapil Kumar tied for sixth at 1-under, as only seven players managed to finish under par on a challenging course.

Three players, Dharma, Kartik, and Sunhit Bishnoi (75-73-68 for 8th place), each carded a 68 on a course that had been tough to score on following heavy rains in the weeks leading up to the event. Nonetheless, the Chandigarh Golf Club managed to prepare well for the Rs. 1.5 crore tournament.

Kartik Singh, who hinted at his potential stardom during the week, finished tied for ninth with Aman Raj, Sanju Kumar, Sachin Baisoya, Harendra Gupta, and Pukhraj Singh Gill.

Jahanvi Bakshi, making a comeback after two years of injuries, was the top female finisher with rounds of 73-71-75, placing 19th in a field of 54 that included 38 male pros, 10 female pros, and six amateurs.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the IGPL, expressed his satisfaction with the week, stating, “We refer to the IGPL as the New Era in Golf, and it has arrived.”

He added, “Gaganjeet is a deserving champion and will motivate many young stars. He is an ideal icon for the IGPL. We are also optimistic about the emergence of a promising group of young talents. It was encouraging to witness players like Veer Ganapathy, Kartik Singh, Krish Chawla, Raghav Chugh, and others rise to the challenge. It’s commendable that Veer, Kartik, and Raghav took significant steps in their careers by turning pro this week and proved their worth among the professionals.”

He also expressed gratitude to the entire IGPL team for organizing the Tour in a short timeframe and acknowledged the support from Chandigarh Golf.

Bhullar, who opened with a bogey, quickly recovered with an eagle shortly after. Following a series of pars, he remained steady as Dharma and the young contenders pursued him, finally sealing his victory with a late birdie on the 17th. Bhullar, set to compete in the second IGPL event next week before heading to the International Series abroad, expressed his satisfaction with his performance and the tournament.

“I’m proud and ecstatic to have made history as the first-ever IGPL Tour champion. This signifies a new chapter in Indian golf, and I’m honored to be a part of it. The Tour has been crafted with great care, uniting female pros, young pros, and amateurs on the same platform as elite players. This will benefit them, and I hope to inspire these youngsters, just as Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa, and Arjun Atwal inspired me,” he remarked.

He emphasized, “Currently, we have very few Indian players on the Asian Tour with a Tour card, and I’m one of them. There was a time when we had over a dozen Indians participating, resulting in numerous victories for India. I hope the new stars like Veer Ganapathy, Kartik Singh, Krish Chawla, and even Shaurya Binu will soon secure their places on the Asian Tour. Winning is always rewarding, as that’s why we play, but helping these young talents represent India proudly is my primary motivation.”

Ganapathy, who was 3-under at the 18th tee, had been in contention throughout and was poised for a second-place finish. However, after missing an 8-foot birdie putt and ending up with a bogey, he slipped to tied third.

Nonetheless, this promising young star stated, “I had a fantastic time this week. Bold golf, aggressive play with no cut, and I will carry all the positives from this inaugural week as a pro. I’m eager for the upcoming IGPL events.”

Dharma expressed his excitement about being part of the IGPL, saying, “It was wonderful to participate in this event, and I appreciated the care taken for the players.”

The next IGPL event is scheduled at Jaypee Greens, Greater Noida, from September 17 to 19, 2025.