By Rahul Banerji
Nine-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar will join Anirban Lahiri for the ISPS Handa Melbourne World Cup of Golf following Shubhankar Sharma’s withdrawal.
The event will be contested at the Metropolitan Golf Club in Melbourne from November 21 to 25, a statement said on Monday.
The 59th staging of the event will see a 56-player field vie for $7 million in prize-money.
Lahiri and Bhullar were team silver medallists at the 2006 Asian Games.
Good run
Bhullar, 30, has had a successful season on the Asian Tour with four top-5 finishes including a win at the Fiji International.
He closed with a final-round 66 to edge Australia’s Anthony Quayle by one stroke and 2019 Presidents Cup International Team captain Ernie Els by two.
Bhullar qualified for last week’s World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in Shanghai where he finished T46 by virtue of being in the top five of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Sharma pulled out of the World Cup to reportedly concentrate on his Asian Tour campaign where he is in with a chance to top the Order of Merit.
Second time
It will be Bhullar’s second time at the World Cup of Golf, having last played in 2013 when he also partnered with Lahiri.
“It’s a great privilege for me,” Bhullar said. “We hardly get to represent our country so I’m very honoured and feel my hard work has paid off this year.
“This will be my second World Cup with Anirban, so we really gel on the golf course.
“We’ve played a lot of junior and amateur golf together and understand each other’s game plan really well so I’m looking forward to the World Cup.”
Following Sharma’s withdrawal from the event, Lahiri, who is now established on the PGA Tour, was given the option to select a partner for the Melbourne event.
“Gagan has been playing very consistently this year and had an amazing win in Fiji,” Lahiri said.
“He’s got a really solid all-around game and practically no weaknesses.
“We go back a long way and this won’t be our first time for Team India.
“We have good chemistry on the course and understand each other’s game well. I think we will combine for a strong Team India.”
Also read: Double delight for Sharma with Arjuna, and Lahiri as WCG partner
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.