Gaganjeet Bhullar, India’s most successful golfer on the Asian Tour with an impressive 11 titles, has said that playing at the Paris Olympics is a memory he will cherish for the rest of his life.
His participation in such a prestigious event is a testament to his dedication, as it adds a significant milestone to his already illustrious career. Competing at the Games is a dream for many athletes, and for Bhullar, it represents one of the highlights of his journey in golf.
Sharing his thoughts on his debut in Paris last week, Bhullar expressed a deep sense of pride and accomplishment, saying, “It gives me the tag of Olympian for the rest of my life. I think that is the most incredible thing.”
The Indian golfer, a Dubai Golden Visa Awardee, did not challenge for a medal as he finished in a tie for 45th. However, he fulfilled a lifelong dream to compete in the event which has meant so much for his family.
“I am from a family of sports people. My father was an international athlete, my mother was a hockey player, and my uncle also represented India in two Olympics and three Asian Games, with a gold medal,” Bhullar said.
“This was something that I was really looking forward to. I missed out on the last two Olympics, finishing third on the Indian rankings.
“Playing in the Olympics was something very close to my heart. It was a very special moment, a very emotional moment. My parents and my family were with me last week,” he added.
Bhullar shot rounds of 75, 69, 71, and 70 to finish one over, which was 20 shots behind American Scottie Scheffler, who won the gold medal.
“It was great. I have never seen so many people at a golf event cheering for all 60 guys with 50 to 55,000 people present every day,” he said. “That was something special, even the organisers said they never expected so many people on the golf course.
“I wish I could have played a little better. I struggled on Thursday but other than that I thought I played well.”
World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler won the gold while Tommy Fleetwood took the silver. Japan’s Matsuyama Hideki claimed the bronze.
The 36-year-old last won on the Asian Tour at the end of last year at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE, an International Series event. He also claimed the Chandigarh Open in April on India’s domestic tour – where he has tasted victory 14 times.
This year he has yet to hit top gear but feels he is not far away from playing his best.
“I am playing pretty good,” Bhullar explained. “I thought I played well the first part of the year, but the scores didn’t show that.
“Overall, I am riding high on confidence. It’s just a matter of a few things clicking here and there. One or two rounds are needed, to get the confidence going, but I am already confident.”
The next event on the Asian Tour following this week’s International Series England is the $500,000 Mandiri Indonesia Open from 29th August – to 1st September 2024.
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