Hat-trick beckons Bhandari

The Delhi-based Bhandari, son of former cricketer Prakash Bhandari, is hell-bent on proving the gene theories wrong. He was always there, but this year, he is almost everywhere — winning the only two PGAI events he has played and that includes the Honda-SIEL PGA, the first major’ of the year.

“This year has been very good to me. Suddenly, my game is just the right kind. I think it is more because of my positive attitude. I don’t get unnecessarily rattled by bad shots. I’ve learned to live with them,” said the 25-year-old who finished 52nd in the Omega Tour Order of Merit.

Is there a possibility that we might witness a hat-trick of wins ? “I am surely going to try. I am confident about my game,” said Bhandari.

Other top contenders for the Rs 2.45 lakh winner’s cheque, defending champion Arjun Singh, who won a thrilling play-off which extended to six holes with Arjun Atwal last year, and Gaurav Ghei, the only Indian to qualify for British Open, were not that forthcoming.

“I haven’t been playing well this year. Tomorrow, I will just concentrate on playing to the fairways and greens,” said Arjun Singh. He denied there will be any pressure on him now that he is the defending champion.

“Definitely not. That was last year, this is a new year, new week. When I am on the course, I blank my mind from all such thoughts.”Ghei, who finished second at the Hero Honda Masters in an otherwise indifferent last few months, was confident that all he needs are a couple of good rounds to get his game back on the track. “I haven’t had much practice recently. The confidence is missing. All I need are two days of good golf. If I stay with the leaders, who knows….” said the man who shocked Colin Montgomerie in the Alfred Dunhill Cup last year.

Twice Indian Open champion Ali Sher and Jyoti Randhawa could well be the dark horses this year. Sher, after winning the season-opening Hindu Open in Chennai, hasn’t won anything else but has been lingering at the top throughout. Randhawa, on the other hand, feels that he is getting his game back and it is showing in the last couple of months. “After my coaching stint with Kel Llewellyen last year, I changed a few things. It took some time to settle, but now I am confident with my game.” He finished 6th in Volvo Malaysia and 5th in Singapore Omega events and as lying third in the season-ending Hong Kong tournament, but a bad final round saw him slip to a final 13th position.

ATWAL NOT COMING:

Arjun Atwal, who has had a sterling year at the Omega Tour, and the runner-up last year, will not be present for this year’s championship. The Calcutta-based professional, after having a hectic Omega Tour season, is taking a short break from the game.

Atwal, who finished 9th in the season-ending APGA event in Hong Kong, but failed to qualify for the matchplay event in Indonesia, joins Chiranjeev Milkha Singh as the only two top golfers who will miss the event.