Singapore, Nov 6 (NationPress) India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar had a stellar start at the Singapore Open, marking his presence on the leaderboard with seven birdies and two bogeys, concluding the first round in T10 at the Singapore Island Country Club.

Bhullar's impressive performance saw him finish at 5-under with a total score of 67 in the prestigious US$2 million tournament. He is currently trailing by three strokes behind the leader, South Korean Jeunghun Wang, who delivered an outstanding 8-under 64 during a day filled with high scores in Singapore.

Bhullar began his round cautiously, recording three birdies and two bogeys over his first 12 holes. However, he ignited his game between holes 13 and 17, nailing four birdies in just five holes. Other Indian competitors, Ajeetesh Sandhu and veteran SSP Chawrasia, are another three strokes behind Bhullar at 70 (-2).

Earlier that day, Jeunghun Wang took full advantage of the Moutai Singapore Open returning, leading the pack on the first day.

This tournament had last occurred in 2022 and is being hosted at Singapore Island Country Club (SICC) for the first time in 25 years. Wang celebrated this milestone by scoring nine birdies and only one bogey.

He leads by one stroke over Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Gunn Charoenkul, and Kieran Vincent from Zimbabwe, all of whom posted scores of 65 on the New Course at SICC. Kiradech, who had been on track for a tie for first, bogeyed the last hole.

Following closely are Germany’s Dominic Foos, recent winner of the SJM Macao Open, along with Americans Micah Shin, Ollie Schniederjans, Caleb Surratt, and Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, all tied with scores of 66.

Wang, who emerged on the scene nearly a decade ago with three European Tour victories, including one co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour, has been gradually returning to form after completing 18 months of national service in Korea.

“I haven’t won a tournament in almost eight years, so I really want to get a win again,” stated the 30-year-old.

“My irons were solid today — I hit the ball well throughout the day. My putting was also very effective, and I didn't miss many shots. Overall, I’m quite pleased with my performance.”

Since his return, he has finished second twice and has had two additional top-five finishes on the Asian Tour. Kiradech, the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, made bogeys on both the first and last holes, despite scoring nine birdies in between. His second shot on the par-five 18th found water.

“Not the way I wanted to start and finish,” Kiradech reflected. “There were many positives, with numerous good putts and shots. Everything seemed aligned today, but the rough pulled my clubface on the last hole, causing my ball to veer into the water.”

Gunn’s impressive start comes at a crucial time as he strives to retain his card for the following year. Currently positioned 56th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with four events remaining, he has been consistently one of the Tour’s top performers over the past four years but struggled with consistency this season.

“This season has not been very smooth,” he admitted. “I faced some health issues and equipment problems. With these two challenges, I find myself at a borderline situation.

“I’m eager for a win this week, so I'm trying to maintain confidence without setting expectations. Hopefully, everything will turn out well.”

Gunn experienced health issues at the Shinhan Donghae Open in Korea last September, losing 20 pounds without knowing the cause. He is gradually regaining full fitness, and a new driver appears to be a positive change.

Meanwhile, Kieran Vincent, the brother of The International Series Rankings leader Scott Vincent, achieved a joint-third finish in the Jakarta International Championship last month, marking his best performance this season and indicating his strong form.

“I was trying to keep pace with my playing partners,” Vincent said. “They started off really well, and I felt the need to join in the excitement. We fed off each other’s energy, and we seemed to have a great synergy throughout the round.”

Singaporean amateur Troy Storm, who recently represented his nation at the World Amateur Team Championship, also had a commendable score of 67, despite dropping a shot on the final hole, making him the top local player.

The Asian Tour Order of Merit leader, Kazuki Higa from Japan, finished the round with a score of 70, while Scott Vincent, who leads The International Series Rankings, ended with a 72.