Bhullar (68-66-68-67), who was tied fourth at the end of round three yesterday, ended up with a tournament total of 15-under-269 to register a one-shot victory over Zimbabwean Scott Vincent and local lad Taewoo Kim of South Korea at the USD 1 million event.
Bhullar, who last won on the Asian Tour in 2013, had hit a rough patch over the last two seasons due to a wrist injury that he suffered in 2014. But the 28-year-old from Kapurthala announced his return into the top league of Asian golf with a clinical performance today that handed him his seventh international title.
Bhullar stepped on the accelerator with birdies on the 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th holes. The strapping six-footer was in prime putting form as he sank a 30-footer on the 10th and two more putts from 12 to 15 feet on the 13th and 14th. He unleashed a terrific tee shot on the par-3 12th which set up a three-feet birdie conversion.
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"I had no idea that I was leading by three after the 15th. That's when I looked at the leaderboard for the first time today. When I realized that I was ahead by three, it gave me confidence and I thought I was playing well and I just needed to continue to focus and stick to my routine," said Bhullar, who became the second Indian to win the Shinhan Donghae Open after Jeev Milkha Singh who won it back in 1994.
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"I'm glad and proud of myself that I've managed to overcome all the difficulties through my hard work and determination. I thank my coach and my family for all their support that helped me in getting my career back on track," added Bhullar, who jumped from 61st place to 10th position in the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Among the other Indians, Khalin Joshi (68-69-69-71) fired a final round of even-par-71 to grab a share of 15th place at seven-under-277 while Jyoti Randhawa (71-71-71-71) who shot four scores of even-par-71, ended tied 54th with a total of even-par-284.