Day One of the Avantha Masters could go on to show the way for the 2010 Asian Tour International winner Gaganjeet Bhullar!

By Abhishek Dinman

The 21-year-old finished Round One at a well-earned three-under 69 on a beautiful Thursday afternoon at the DLF Golf and Country Resort in Gurgaon.

He shot birdies on the 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th 11th and the 18th hole, against a bogey on 5th, and a double bogey on the 12th.

The tournament, co-sanctioned by the European Tour, the Asian Tour and the PGTI, offers Indian golfers an opportunity to take themselves to the next level. And, Bhullar is ready for the ride! With his blue t-shirt smartly tucked in, the Kapurthala boy was amongst the first few to address the media.

There was a fierce look of determination in his eyes when he said, "I am not under pressure."

One would imagine, with the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa also vying for the prize, Bhullar would show signs of nerves. But not him!

Bhullar, as if reading the minds, said, "There is no question of being nervous. Rather, I am motivated."

This was Bhullar unplugged -- straightforward and super confident of his abilities. But not reckless!

He said: "It's important not to lose your focus. You must play your shots with a game plan."

Having claimed the Asian Tour title in Bangkok last week, Bhullar conceded he was edgy in the initial few holes, and did not feel like he was in the zone.

"I recently won the tournament in Bangkok. It was an amazing experience. It has given me a lot of boost. But here, I must say my putting was a bit rusty in the first two holes. But I got my bearings on time and, I guess, I did not look back."

Those who followed Bhullar from tee to finish could see there was a spring in his step. His caddie was having a hard time catching up with him.

However, he seemed slightly disappointed with the way the greens behaved.

"The greens were very slow in the beginning. There was even a bit of dampness on the fairways. The course though, started behaving well in the later stages," he said.

He is also pretty content with his putting skills. His longest putt came on the third hole, where he holed a 15-footer.

"I am satisfied with my putting so far. There were a few errors in judgment, but all in all, I had a decent outing," he added.

The months of May, June and July are going to be dry spells on the Asian Tour circuit. But Bhullar does not want to rest on his laurels. He wants to spread his wings and play in Europe.

"If you want to move up the ladder, you need to be visible on the European circuit. I want to play with the best. And, in order to prepare myself, I am going to be playing a lot of challenger events. I feel they are a good training ground for European circuit. Thankfully, my European Tour card is also on the way," said a smiling Bhullar.

That indeed is a reason to rejoice for a player who qualified for British Open in 2009, his first appearance at a Major.

Bhullar closed 2009 sixth on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He was also India's number one amateur for two years in 2004 and 2006.

The days ahead at the picturesque DLF golf course may not be as rosy for Bhullar but, like the man himself says, "he is up to the challenge!"