Defending champion Gaganjeet Bhullar feels he has "matured" as a player since his title win last year and said he is really "pumped up" ahead of his title defence at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship which begins here tomorrow.
Bhullar will headline the USD 500,000 Asian Tour event alongside reigning Order of Merit winner, Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, local hero Lin Wen-tang, who is a six-time Asian Tour winner and highly rated Baek Seuk-hyun, who ranks sixth on the Order of Merit.
The 25-year-old Bhullar has enjoyed a solid season so far where he was awarded with the prestigious Arjuna Award last month.
A good finish or a successful title defence at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club will also strengthen Bhullar's position on the Order of Merit where he is currently ranked second.
He stands a chance to qualify for the WGC-HSBC Champions in China in October if he can remain in the top-two position before the cut-off date on October 14.
"I think my game has definitely matured a lot since I won the Yeangder TPC last year. I learnt a lot from every tournament I play in. With my previous victories and experiences playing on both the Asian Tour and European Tour, I think these have helped build up my game a lot," said Bhullar.
"I don't think it's difficult to come back and play in a tournament where I'm defending the title. I've won a few times on the Indian Tour and four times on the Asian Tour now. I've got a lot of expectations but at the end of the day, this is what we play for. I'm really pumped up and feeling very positive with my game this time," he added.
Berry Henson of the United States hopes to overcome his putting woes after changing several putters since winning his first Asian Tour title in 2011.
