St. Andrews, Aug 28 (PTI) Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar recorded his best result of the season by finishing fifth at the inaugural St. Andrews Bay Championship. Bhullar shot 2-under 70 and finished the low-scoring week at 17-under, as the Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra and Australian Matt Jones birdied the 18th and were tied at 19-under. Chacarra then won a record marathon play-off which lasted 10 holes.

The 10-time winner on the Asian Tour, Bhullar gave himself a shot at the title with a 2-under through 10 holes and just one behind the leaders. But the Indian, who opened the day with a bogey but recovered with three birdies in the next nine holes, failed to find any birdies in the last eight.

India’s other stars in the field, Ajeetesh Sandhu (71) and Anirban Lahiri (70), finished T-8 and T-14 respectively. Veer Ahlawat (70) and SSP Chawrasia (71) were T-30 while Rahil Gangjee (71) and Viraj Madappa (72) were T-50th and Rashid Khan (74) T-66.

Bhullar, who was T-3 after the third round, was looking for his first win since the success in Indonesia in August 2022.

He had a rough start with a bogey but the tenacious Indian birdied fifth, seventh and tenth to get back into the frame. The birdies refused to fall after that and he was stranded at 17-under and Tied-fifth alongside Mito Pereira (70).

Sandhu had three birdies against two bogeys, while Lahiri, who was T-2 and third at his last two appearances on the Asian Tour, pushed hard. He played a superb front nine with four birdies and he put himself into contention.

The back nine reeled him back as he double bogeyed the Par-3 11th and then dropped a shot each on the 13th and the 16th holes. In between, he birdied 12th and the 15th.

Source: PTI News