Gaganjeet Bhullar’s composed bogey-free 4-under 67 and Shiv Kapur’s spectacular hole-in-one were the standout moments for the Indian contingent on the opening day of the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times.
Thailand’s Ekpharit Wu and Japan’s Jeongwoo Ham set the early pace with matching 7-under 64s at the par-71 Serapong course at Sentosa Golf Club. Wu, with wife Pam on the bag, remained blemish-free, while Ham offset a lone bogey with eight birdies to take a two-shot lead.
Chasing his 11th Asian Tour title, Bhullar made a measured start from the 10th tee, opening with eight straight pars before his round gathered momentum. A birdie on the 18th (his ninth) sparked the charge, followed by three more gains on the 1st, 4th and 7th as he signed for a 67 to sit tied sixth.
“I played good golf today, I was in the game throughout the 18 holes,” Bhullar said. “I’d love to continue this form and build belief over the next three days.”
On tackling Sentosa, he added, “You’ve got to be mentally strong. Every part of your game — off the tee, approaches, putting, chipping — has to be spot on.”
The moment of the day, however, belonged to Shiv Kapur, who aced the 168-yard par-3 second with an 8-iron — his first hole-in-one on the Asian Tour in over two decades.
“I’ve been playing on the Asian Tour for about 22 years and I’ve never had a hole-in-one out here, so that’s my first,” Kapur said.
It was a rare highlight in an otherwise tough round, as Kapur mixed two double bogeys and two bogeys to finish at 4-over. “That ace put a smile on my face — a small silver lining on a tough day. That’s golf, it takes a bit from you and gives a bit back,” he added.
Elsewhere, Rashid Khan, Shaurya Bhattacharya and Ajeetesh Sandhu carded 1-under rounds to stay inside the top 30, while Karandeep Kochhar and youngster Pukhraj Singh Gill — playing via the IGPL pathway — returned level-par scores.
A group at 5-under 66, including American Charles Porter, Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent and the Philippines’ Aidric Chan, shared third place, while Bhullar was part of a large tie for sixth alongside John Catlin, Will Florimo, Kevin Yuan, Tomohiro Ishizaka, Ryosuke Kinoshita and LIV golfer Luis Masaveu.
What it means: Bhullar is well placed early, while Kapur’s ace provides a memorable highlight despite a tough scorecard.
What’s next: With Open Championship spots on the line, moving day will be crucial at Sentosa.
Photo – Asian Tour
