Bhullar makes it three titles in a row

Kolkata: Gaganjeet Bhullar made it three titles from three starts in 2011 after a comfortable two-stroke victory, while Kolkata golfer SSP Chowrasia finished second at the PGTI Players Championship at Royal Calcutta Golf Club.

The Kapurthala golfer triumphed with a total score of 13 under 275 as he made 18 pars in his round of even par 72 on the final day. Chowrasia, who shot a four under 68 in round four, was the runners-up with a tournament total of 11 under 277. Bhullar (69-69-65-72) came home the victor despite posting a modest 72 in the fourth round. He made pars from the beginning to the end but never lost control of the situation since he hit almost all the fairways and made the greens in regulation on all holes except for the seventh where he made a good chip-putt from the edge of the green to save par. Bhullar was aided by the fact that his closest rivals Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee were not able to mount a serious challenge on the day.Chowrasia and Gangjee came within two shots of the leader only on the 16th hole and could not make any further inroads. Bhullar now has won 11 professional titles to his credit including eight on the Aircel PGTI. He has firmly established himself on top of the Rolex Rankings after taking home a cheque worth Rs 484,950 from his third win of the year. "It`s turning out to be a great season for me. I was in a comfort zone today and did not do anything extraordinary. I just stuck to my game-plan of hitting the greens in regulation and making two-putts for par. It worked out well for me," said Bhullar."I was in trouble only on the seventh where I recovered well with a good chip. I drew from all the experiences of my past victories to successfully close the match.” "As I am currently on a winning streak there is a lot of positive energy around me and that helps me come through even in tough situations. This is the second hat-trick of titles in my career and it has given me the much-needed momentum ahead of a long and gruelling season," he added. Chowrasia`s (67-72-70-68) four under 68 was the best score today. It helped him finish second with an overall score of 11 under 277. The Kolkata-based professional, who is now placed second on the Rolex Rankings, made a bogey and a birdie on the front nine and then made a charge with four birdies on the back nine only to fall two strokes short of the eventual winner. Gangjee (72-68-69-69) of Kolkata claimed third place with a total of 10 under 278. His final round of 69 included five birdies and two bogeys. Mukesh Kumar of Mhow and Lucknow`s Vijay Kumar, the leader till round two, shared fourth position with matching totals of six under 282. Anirban Lahiri and Sanjay Kumar were a further stroke behind in tied sixth place. PTI