Bhullar, Lahiri game for an impact at CIMB Classic

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 22 (IANS) Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar will have his sights on the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown when he competes at the $7 million CIMB Classic which starts Thursday.

Bhullar, ranked third on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, trails current leader Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand by more than $400,000 but hopes to narrow the gap with a solid result at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club here.

“Kiradech is pretty far ahead of all of us but every penny counts. The winner’s check is around $1 million and if you win this thing, apart from winning the Order of Merit, there are other perks to enjoy. I’m going to keep my head stable to be in contention on Sunday,” said the four-time Asian Tour winner.

Bhullar will have Spanish stalwart Sergio Garcia and Rickie Fowler of the United States for company in the opening two rounds. He is targeting another top finish this week after ending his campaign last season as the best placed Asian player in tied 10th.

“This is definitely one of my favourite golf courses on the Asian Tour. I’ve played well here and I just want to try to give my 100 percent this week,” said Bhullar.

Anirban Lahiri, a three-time Asian Tour winner, hopes to carry his fine form into the CIMB Classic after finishing second and one-shot ahead of Ernie Els of South Africa at the Macau Open Sunday.

“It’s always good to come into a big event with some confidence behind you. When you play a couple of good tournaments with low rounds, it helps you to believe in yourself and do even better,” said Lahiri, who finished in tied 26th last year.

Lahiri, ranked seventh on the Order of Merit, is gearing for a big week as the winner will receive playing exemptions on the Asian Tour and PGA Tour and earn a spot at the 2014 Masters Tournament.

“It’s a great opportunity for all of us. The way I look at it is you get a good performance in right now and can you open up a lot of doors. You can open up like America, for instance, if you play well enough, maybe get some kind of status, some conditional status if anything else, even if you don’t win,” he said.

“Even otherwise it’s a very important week if you want to make an impact on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. There are a lot of bonuses there if you win Order of Merit or finish top-3. So all of us here are trying to make a big impact this week,” added Lahiri.