Bhullar leads Indian contingent into Jakarta International Championship

New Delhi [India], October 1 (ANI): An 11-player contingent from India is set to compete at the inaugural Jakarta International Championship, being held at Damai Indah Golf's PIK Course from October 2 to 5, as part of The International Series, the set of elevated events on the Asian Tour calendar that form a pathway onto the LIV Golf League.

Leading the charge is Gaganjeet Bhullar, a five-time winner on Indonesian soil and member of the India Olympic team last year in Paris, a release said.

Bhullar will be joined by Khalin Joshi, Ajeetesh Sandhu, Rahil Gangjee, Karandeep Kochhar, Viraj Madappa, Chikkarangappa S., S.S.P. Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur, Rashid Khan, and Yuvraj Sandhu - representing one of the strongest international line-ups in the field, the release said.

Bhullar, 36, has enjoyed a remarkable career on the Asian Tour and remains a formidable force in the region. His most recent triumph on The International Series came at the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE in November 2023, where he delivered a flawless wire-to-wire performance to claim his fifth title in Indonesia and the 11th Asian Tour victory of his career - the most by any Indian golfer.

That win added to an extraordinary Indonesian record that includes three Indonesia Open titles - the most by any player - and victory at the Indonesia President Invitational, further cementing his dominance in the country.

This season on The International Series, Bhullar has been consistent, making the cut in all four events (India, Macau, Japan, and Morocco), highlighted by a T14 finish at the International Series Morocco.

Also drawing attention this week is Karandeep Kochhar, who finished runner-up to Bhullar at the Indonesian Masters in 2023. Kochhar has been steadily building momentum this season, making the cut at the International Series India presented by DLF and recording a T14 finish at the Mandiri Indonesian Open on Asian Tour duty. He also secured a runner-up result at the Morocco Rising Stars on the Asian Development Tour.

Looking ahead to Jakarta, Kochhar is optimistic about his form: "It is always a treat to be back in Indonesia. We played this course last year for the Mandiri Indonesian Open, and it was a great event. The golf course is in excellent shape again, and the weather has been kind to us so far - it can get really hot here, but this week it feels manageable."

"My game feels good. I've had a couple of strong weeks on the ADT, the Asian Tour, and back home on the IGPL, so I'm excited to tee it up and hopefully have a good week."

The event also welcomes global names, including Anthony Kim, LIV Golf Wild Card and three-time PGA Tour winner, who is looking to fight his way back to the LIV Golf League after finishing in the drop zone at the end of the 2025 season.

Reflecting on his comeback journey, Kim shared: "In my 20s and playing professional golf, I had a lot of access to different things, but at 40, I realized all of us sitting up here, we're blessed to be sitting here and getting to travel the world, play golf in front of a bunch of people, in amazing places such as here in Jakarta.

"We have to appreciate that and have gratitude for the opportunity we have in front of us. We start tomorrow; we are all at level par with the chance to change our lives every week. This is not pressure. This is a blessing." (ANI)

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