Gaganjeet Bhullar will look to continue his good form as he eyes his 10th title at the Fiji International golf tournament, co-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours, starting at the Natadola Bay course here tomorrow.
The 30-year-old Kapurthala golfer has been in Top-5 in three of his last six starts and he has also been T-11 once. His last win came at the Macao Open in October last year.
At 160th, Bhullar is also the third highest World Ranked Indian golfer after Shubhankar Sharma (87) and Anirban Lahiri (107) and a win in Fiji could bring him close to the Top-100 which would open a lot of doors for him.
Also in the field is compatriot Shiv Kapur, who has been trying hard to recapture the form that brought him three wins in 2017. This year he has been hit by injury and is now coming back.
Other Indians in the strong field include Ajeetesh Sandhu, a winner on Asian Tour in October last year, and Chiragh Kumar, who has been struggling with his form this season.
This year's tournament is set to feature four-time Major champion and Captain of the International Team for the 2019 Presidents Cup, Ernie Els, and former Masters champion, Vijay Singh.
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One of the big contenders this year in Fiji will be Scott Hend, a former Asian Tour No 1, who after two wins in 2016, was winless in 2017.
He will be flying in from Germany, where he plays the Porsche European Open and then make the long flight to Nadi. He has been recovering from an injury this season. Last year Hend, was fourth after three rounds but dropped way down with a final round 75.
In a season which has seen him not quite at his best thanks to an injury flare-up, he has been steadily building back to form and feels he is ready to contend again.