September 1st 2009, Crans Montana, Switzerland: Indian rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar will savour the sweet rewards of his recent success when he competes in the Omega European Masters on Thursday.

The 21-year-old is raring to test his game against Europe’s finest at the picturesque Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club in the Swiss Alps this week, a perk which came with the winner’s exemption following his maiden Asian Tour victory in Indonesia in July.

“This is my first time here and it’s so beautiful out there. The atmosphere is awesome, the course is in good condition and it already looks like the best week on Tour for me,” gushed Bhullar.

“After my recent good run, I hope to carry on with my form. I’m hitting the ball well and I’m feeling confident.”

Bhullar claimed a stylish victory at the Indonesia President Invitational and nearly made it two-in-a-row at the Brunei Open where he lost in a play-off to Australian Darren Beck.

After competing in the Queen’s Cup in Thailand, he returned home to India, only to win another tournament on the domestic circuit in the following week. The past fortnight has been spent on sharpening his short game, which will be put to a test at the tricky par-71 layout this week.

“I’m working hard on my game. I worked on the short game over the past two weeks, the bunker shots and chipping which are areas that every golfer in the world wants to improve,” said Bhullar.

“After winning in Indonesia and knowing that I’ve got a two-year exemption, it felt great. Everything is going as planned. I’m enjoying playing which is the key. Mentally, I’m more relaxed as well. I believe that playing on the Asian Tour for the past two years has helped as I can play under pressure.”

He also welcomed this week’s historic milestone as the Omega European Masters will be the first event in Europe to be jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.

“It’s a great thing for Asian golf. Asian players are recognised all over the world now. We have the first Asian major winner (Yang Yong-eun of Korea) and it’s a great thing for Asian golf. More sponsors will come in and it will give us a boost. It will make us work harder,” said Bhullar.

Compatriot Gaurav Ghei, meanwhile, is hoping to return to full fitness after being ill last week. “The game is feeling good and I’m playing well. I had a bit of a health issue so I’m not physically feeling all that fit but I hope that as the days go by I’ll start to feel stronger.”

Like Bhullar, he also believes that the close cooperation between the Asian Tour and European Tour will benefit the game in Asia. “It’s a great opportunity for the Asian players. We have established stars like Jeev Singh, Thongchai Jaidee and Chapchai Nirat who have won European Tour events in Asia.

“It’s a great opportunity for a lot of the other guys now to show their skills and talent, especially the young players like Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet. It’ll be a great experience for them.”