Lahiri stays with Crushers; Bhullar a step away from LIV Golf slot
Anirban Lahiri extends his relationship with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC for the 2024 LIV Golf season and could be joined by countryman Gaganjeet Bhullar who will play a qualifier to join the league after victory at the Indonesian Masters
- Nov 22, 2023,
- Updated Nov 22, 2023 1:24 PM IST
Anirban Lahiri confirmed he would stay with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC for the 2024 LIV Golf season even as Gaganjeet Bhullar climbed into contention for a spot in the league with victory at the Indonesian Masters victory in Jakarta last week.
Lahiri was one of five players in the top 24 finishers who were guaranteed extensions with their 2023 teams but had the option to explore alternatives elsewhere. In the end, he opted to stay with the Crushers, who sealed their title in the final tournament of the season in Jeddah last month.
In the final individual standings for the 2023 season, Lahiri took 13th place while Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz opted to explore the free agency choice during the offseason after rejecting a contract extension offer from Fireballs GC.
The others amongst the five – Lahiri, Peter Uihlein (4Aces GC), Richard Bland (Cleeks GC) and Scott Vincent (Iron Heads GC) – opted to re-sign with their 2023 teams, livgolf.com said.
Meanwhile, Bhullar’s 11th Asian Tour win at the $1.5 million BNI Indonesian Masters gave him enough points for a place in the top 10 of the International Series rankings that also guarantees a start at the LIV Golf Promotions event at Abu Dhabi next month.
The top three finishers at the Promotions tournament are guaranteed places in the 2024 LIV Golf League.
In all, five of the Amritsar-based Bhullar’s 11 Asian Tour titles have come in Indonesia and only Thai legends Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant stand ahead of him in the all-time winners’ list.
The 35-year-old from Amritsar eagled the closing hole at Royale Jakarta Golf Club to finish on a 24-under par total, five shots ahead of second-placed Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar, who also earned a place in the Promotions starting lineup.
Bhullar takes home this trophy for the first time and it will sit alongside three Indonesian Open wins and one Indonesia President Invitational title on his mantlepiece. It was also his first victory since winning the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August last year.
Bhullar’s place in the top eight of the International Series secured automatic qualification into round two of the three-day event in the UAE while Kochhar found a place in the first round that was available for those finishing in the 25 places behind the top eight.
Kochhar made a strong late-season surge, including a shared fifth place at the Volvo China Open and a T25 at the Hong Kong Open in the last couple of weeks that gave him the opportunity to play the LIV Promotions event.
“To be brutally honest, the Promotions event wasn’t on my mind as I was outside the places, and I was trying to secure my Asian Tour card for the season,” Kochhar said in Jakarta. “But in China, I shot eight under to finish top 5, and that week kickstarted this stretch. I’m playing on the confidence of that single round and that has really helped me because I’m playing stress free.”
At Jakarta, Kochhar got plenty of inside information on the LIV Golf scene from Anirban Lahiri who also played the Indonesian Open and chatted about life on LIV over a Kochhar family celebration.
“My parents had flown in this week, and for dad’s 50th we had dinner at my apartment and Anirban was there, telling stories about LIV Golf, it sounded great and hopefully we can have a couple more Indians there and increase our presence on there.”
Anirban Lahiri confirmed he would stay with Bryson DeChambeau’s Crushers GC for the 2024 LIV Golf season even as Gaganjeet Bhullar climbed into contention for a spot in the league with victory at the Indonesian Masters victory in Jakarta last week.
Lahiri was one of five players in the top 24 finishers who were guaranteed extensions with their 2023 teams but had the option to explore alternatives elsewhere. In the end, he opted to stay with the Crushers, who sealed their title in the final tournament of the season in Jeddah last month.
In the final individual standings for the 2023 season, Lahiri took 13th place while Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz opted to explore the free agency choice during the offseason after rejecting a contract extension offer from Fireballs GC.
The others amongst the five – Lahiri, Peter Uihlein (4Aces GC), Richard Bland (Cleeks GC) and Scott Vincent (Iron Heads GC) – opted to re-sign with their 2023 teams, livgolf.com said.
Meanwhile, Bhullar’s 11th Asian Tour win at the $1.5 million BNI Indonesian Masters gave him enough points for a place in the top 10 of the International Series rankings that also guarantees a start at the LIV Golf Promotions event at Abu Dhabi next month.
The top three finishers at the Promotions tournament are guaranteed places in the 2024 LIV Golf League.
In all, five of the Amritsar-based Bhullar’s 11 Asian Tour titles have come in Indonesia and only Thai legends Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant stand ahead of him in the all-time winners’ list.
The 35-year-old from Amritsar eagled the closing hole at Royale Jakarta Golf Club to finish on a 24-under par total, five shots ahead of second-placed Chandigarh golfer Karandeep Kochhar, who also earned a place in the Promotions starting lineup.
Bhullar takes home this trophy for the first time and it will sit alongside three Indonesian Open wins and one Indonesia President Invitational title on his mantlepiece. It was also his first victory since winning the Mandiri Indonesia Open in August last year.
Bhullar’s place in the top eight of the International Series secured automatic qualification into round two of the three-day event in the UAE while Kochhar found a place in the first round that was available for those finishing in the 25 places behind the top eight.
Kochhar made a strong late-season surge, including a shared fifth place at the Volvo China Open and a T25 at the Hong Kong Open in the last couple of weeks that gave him the opportunity to play the LIV Promotions event.
“To be brutally honest, the Promotions event wasn’t on my mind as I was outside the places, and I was trying to secure my Asian Tour card for the season,” Kochhar said in Jakarta. “But in China, I shot eight under to finish top 5, and that week kickstarted this stretch. I’m playing on the confidence of that single round and that has really helped me because I’m playing stress free.”
At Jakarta, Kochhar got plenty of inside information on the LIV Golf scene from Anirban Lahiri who also played the Indonesian Open and chatted about life on LIV over a Kochhar family celebration.
“My parents had flown in this week, and for dad’s 50th we had dinner at my apartment and Anirban was there, telling stories about LIV Golf, it sounded great and hopefully we can have a couple more Indians there and increase our presence on there.”