Chandigarh
India’s leading golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar produced a superb comeback to successfully defend his title at the IGPL Invitational Chandigarh presented by KRISHNA, rallying from four shots behind to claim his fourth IGPL victory in just six appearances.
Bhullar, who carded rounds of 68 and 69 over the first two days, delivered a composed and bogey-free 4-under 68 in the final round at the Chandigarh Golf Club. His decisive surge came on the back nine where he picked up three birdies in a four-hole stretch between the 13th and 16th holes to move ahead of the field.
The 37-year-old finished with a three-day total of 11-under-par, dropping just a single bogey throughout the tournament on the second day, underlining his remarkable consistency and precision.
Bhullar eventually finished three shots clear of IGPL debutant Varun Parikh, who closed with a round of 70 to finish at 8-under. Sachin Baisoya (68) and another debutant Manav Shah (70) shared third place at 7-under.
“A win is always most satisfying and I try to stay focused at all times,” said Bhullar after sealing the victory on the 18th green, surrounded by friends, family and fans. “I love this course — it’s my home course.”
Bhullar had a memorable IGPL season in 2025 as well, winning the first two events before adding a third title later in the year. Despite playing only five events last season, he finished third on the Order of Merit behind Pukhraj Singh Gill and Aman Raj.
Parikh impressed on his IGPL debut with rounds of 71, 67 and 70 to finish runner-up. The young golfer revealed that Bhullar had encouraged him to join the league.
Overnight leader Aman Raj endured a difficult final round of 77 and slipped to fifth place at 6-under, while Varun Chopra (67) finished sixth at 5-under.
IGPL CEO Uttam Singh Mundy, who flew in from Singapore following the announcement of a historic tie-up between the IGPL and the international series, praised Bhullar’s performance. “Without an iota of doubt, Gaganjeet is the best Indian golfer right now. His consistency speaks for itself and he has also been a mentor to many younger players,” Mundy said.
Last year’s Order of Merit winner Pukhraj Singh Gill (73), Karandeep Kochhar (71) and Kapil Kumar (73) finished tied seventh at 4-under.
Bhullar also welcomed the influx of young talent in the league. “Players like Varun Parikh, Manav Shah and Varun Chopra have shown they are great assets to IGPL,” he said. “I’m happy with my game, though I feel I can still score better. The key is to keep bogeys to a minimum,” he said.
Parikh, meanwhile, said playing alongside Bhullar in the final group was a valuable learning experience. “It was an education to play with Gaganjeet, an 11-time Asian Tour winner,” he said.
Six-time Asian Tour champion SSP Chawrasia (70), Harendra Gupta (69), Veer Ganapathy (69) and Kartik Sharma (72) rounded off the top 10 in a field that blended youth and experience.
