Gaganjeet Bhullar showed resilience under pressure to carry the Indian challenge into the weekend, climbing to tied third at the halfway stage of the Singapore Open presented by The Business Times.
The 11-time Asian Tour winner recovered from late setbacks to post a 4-under 68 and move to 7-under 135 (67-68) at the demanding Serapong course at Sentosa Golf Club.
Bhullar had been bogey-free for 31 holes before the course struck back. A dropped shot on the 14th — his first of the week — followed by another on the 15th briefly halted his momentum. But he responded in style, picking up two birdies over his final three holes, including a superb 30-foot putt on the 16th, to stay firmly in contention.
“Today’s round was very similar to yesterday. I hit lots of fairways and greens, and putting was key — I holed putts at the right time,” Bhullar said.
He remained measured about his position. “There are still 36 holes to play. On this course, you have to be very strong from tee to green. There’s a lot of golf left.”
Bhullar shares third place with Japan’s Tomohiro Ishizaka, two shots behind leader Jeongwoo Ham of Korea, who moved to 10-under 132 (64-68). Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond sits second at 8-under after a 66.
Among the other Indians, Pukhraj Singh Gill impressed with a 1-under round to make the cut comfortably at tied 38th, while Karandeep Kochhar (71-71) advanced at tied 43rd.
“This is one of the toughest courses I’ve played,” said Gill. “You need to be sharp in every aspect — the fairways are narrow and the greens are firm. There’s very little room for error.”
Gill added that his length off the tee proved useful. “I took advantage on the par-5s — that helped me stay in the round.”
Ham, meanwhile, continued his steady run despite not holing as many putts as in round one. “I played patiently today and didn’t make many mistakes,” he said.
Janewattananond, a former champion here, was equally comfortable on a familiar layout. “It’s great to be back. This is one of the best courses in Asia and it suits my eye,” he said.
What it means: Bhullar remains firmly in the mix despite late hiccups on a brutally testing course.
What’s next: Moving day at Sentosa — where patience and precision will decide who separates from the pack.
Photo – Asian Tour
