Chandigarh, March 13 (IANS) Gaganjeet Bhullar successfully defended the title at the IGPL Invitational Chandigarh, as he rallied from four shots behind to register his fourth IGPL win in just six appearances.

Bhullar, who shot 68-69 on the first two days, added a bogey-free 4-under 68, that was highlighted by three gains in four shots between the 13th and the 16th on the back nine. His total of 11-under over three days had just one bogey on the second day as he displayed a very high degree of consistency and precision.

Bhullar finished three clear of Varun Parikh (70), while Sachin Baisoya (68) was third alongside Manav Shah (70) at 7-under. Both Parikh and Shah are debutants and were delighted with their start in the IGPL.

“A win is always most satisfying, and I try to stay focused at all times,” said Bhullar, who was surrounded by his friends and fans as he completed the win on the 18th green at the Chandigarh Golf Club.

“I love this course, this is my home course,” said Bhullar, who last year won the first two IGPL events and later added a third title.

Bhullar, who played only five IGPL events in 2025 was third on the Order of Merit behind Pukhraj Singh Gill and Aman Raj.

IGPL debutant, Varun Parikh, who revealed that Bhullar helped him make the decision to come to the IGPL, was second with a par on the final hole. He shot 71-67-70 to be 8-under and three behind the winner.

Overnight leader Aman Raj (77) had a rough final day and slipped to fifth at 6-under, while Varun Chopra (67) was sixth at 5-under.

Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the IGPL, who flew in from Singapore, where he was one of the signatories to the historic tie-up between the IGPL and the International Series, was delighted with the result. “Gaganjeet (Bhullar), without an iota of doubt, is the best Indian golfer right now. His consistent results are a proof of that. He has also been a mentor for younger players.

He added, “It was very appropriate that he won the opening event of the 2026 IGPL season, just as he did in 2025.”

Three players, last year’s IGPL Order of Merit champion, Pukhraj Singh Gill (73), were tied seventh alongside Kapil Kumar (73) were tied for the seventh place. All three are winners from the 2025 season.

Bhullar, whose family was at the Chandigarh Golf Club to see him win, is also relishing in the role of a mentor and an idol of sorts for many of the younger stars. He said, “It is great to begin the new year with a win and I am delighted at the way IGPL is going.

It has attracted a lot of new stars. For instance, Varun (Parikh), Manav (Shah) and Varun Chopra, all of whom have newly joined the IGPL, showed that they are great assets to IGPL as they finished in Top-6.

On his own game, he said, “While I am very happy with my game, I feel I can score much better, but the key is also to keep bogeys to a minimum.”

Bhullar was also very happy at how Varun (Parikh), who played with him in the final group, stood up to the pressure of a lead group.

Parikh on his part, was all praise for the way Bhullar carried himself and showed so much confidence. “He is calm and composed even when a shot is not up to his expectations. I took his advice before joining IGPL. After talking to him I was convinced that it was the best way to get to the Asian Tour and the International Series, which is where I want to be. Then to get the news of the tie up between the IGPL and the International Series on Thursday was fantastic.”

Debutant and second place finisher Parikh added, “It was an education to play alongside Gaganjeet, who is a 11-time winner on the Asian Tour.”

A mix of youth and experience with six-time Asian Tour winner, SSP Chawrasia (70), Harendra Gupta (69), Veer Ganapathy (69) and left-hander Kartik Sharma (72) rounded off the Top-10.

–IANS

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