The euphoria of the Indian team winning the 2011 Cricket World Cup will most likely continue to be talked about for many years to come and rewards given to the winning team members will roll in from many quarters for the next few months amounting to many millions of dollars.  For us sportspersons in non cricket sports, it makes you wonder how nice it would be if we could play a world cup with only ten proper teams competing !! I am sure if we had to compete against only ten other countries, by now India would have won a few world cups in golf and other sports already.
I would love to win a world cup in golf for my country too but we need to work a lot harder and produce many more good players to hope to take on the 200 countries that submit teams for the World Cup of Golf , including the mighty European teams as well as the powers of South & Latin American nations as well as the US, Canada, South Africa, Australia and all the Asian nations as well.
At the amateur and club level in golf though the odds are not as bad because of the handicap system which equates golfers of different abilities. And so hopes run high amongst corporate golfers who I spoke to at the Mercedes Trophy, India’s largest invitational amateur event with 9 Invitational rounds and  5 Regional rounds which saw nearly 2000 golfers participate,  and now an Indian national final staged in Mauritius before the three winners go in for their “world cup” of the Mercedes Trophy against 50 other teams in Germany this October.
After winning rounds in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkota and Chandigarh, 48 finalists will participate in the Mercedes Trophy National Final later in April to try and get one of three spots at the World Final in three handicap categories so that players of various abilities have a chance. I wish them all best of luck.

Two-time Asian Tour winner Gaganjeet Bhullar of India became the first Indian to win on the European Challenge Tour after triumphing by one shot at the season-opening Gujarat Kensville Challenge on Sunday.

Bhullar battled with his nerves to close with a three-over-par 75, but his five-under-par 283 total was enough to see off England’s Matt Ford, who signed for a 70 to finish on 284.

Such was the demanding nature of the course and conditions at the Jeev Milkha Singh-designed Kensville Golf Club in Ahmedabad, India, only six players finished under par.

After opening with a bogey Bhullar recovered by picking up a shot at the third hole, which he has birdied on all four days.

He immediately gave a shot back at the next hole, and after another bogey at the tenth Bhullar’s grip on the trophy appeared in some peril – especially when Ford ran up successive birdies on the 13th and 14th.

But Bhullar remained composed thereafter and, despite another bogey at the 17th hole, a par at the last sealed his victory.

The 22 year old rising star is now €32,000 richer but, perhaps more importantly, has written his name into the history books.

“I’m very pleased to begin the season with a victory. Last year I also began the season with a victory on the Asian Tour, but I cherish this moment as this is my first international victory in India. It was my father’s birthday on January 14, so I dedicate this win to him,” said Bhullar.

“Today the pin positions were tough, so it wasn’t easy to get birdies. On the 17th hole I found a bad lie in a divot and ended up making bogey, so I was under pressure. But I was confident that I could still pull it off as I knew making a birdie on the finishing hole would be difficult, even though Ford was playing well,” added the Indian.

Ford was disappointed to have missed out on his maiden Challenge Tour title, but could console himself with a cheque for €22,000.

“Obviously it’s very disappointing to have lost by a stroke. On the last hole, when I heard that Bhullar had made a bogey on the 17th, I tried to make a birdie to force a play-off. But I hit my approach a bit short, and failed to make the putt. But credit to Bhullar, because he deserved to win,” said Ford.

England’s Jamie Moul finished in third place courtesy of the day’s best score of 69, while his compatriot Matthew Baldwin took fourth on 286.

The only other players to finish below par were Bangladesh’s Siddikur (73) and Denmark’s Mads Vibe-Hastrup (72), who shared fifth place on one under par.

Source: Asian Tour Official Website

India’s rising star Gaganjeet Bhullar fired his way to the top of the    driving category with an average of 303 yards for the 2010 season following the completion of the Iskandar Johor Open last week.

The two-time Asian Tour champion is trailed closely by Thailand’s Pariya Junhasavasdikul on 299 yards while compatriot Udorn Duangdecha lies in third position on 297 yards.

Udorn also leads the Driving Accuracy category where he has hit 76% of fairways. India’s Gurki Shergill is in second place with an accuracy of 72% followed by countryman Bhullar with an accuracy rate of 70%.

The slightly-built Jbe Kruger of South Africa leads the Greens in Regulation category with a strike rate 77.46%. Englishman Simon Griffiths is in second place with 75.74%.

Korean teen sensation Noh Seung-yul, currently leading the Order of Merit, tops the Stroke Average category on 69.14 followed by Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee (70) and Japanese stalwart Tetsuji Hiratsuka (70.09).

Thai legend Thaworn Wiratchant, who was the Birdie category winner last season, extended his lead in the category with a total of 196 birdies so far this season. Chinese Taipei’s Chan Yih-shin trails on 167 birdies while Lam Chih Bing of Singapore has shot a total of 163 birdies to lie in third position.

The respective Stats Category winners will be recognised in the Asian Tour’s Awards Gala in December. The members will also vote for the Players’ Player of the Year and Host Venue of the Year.

Other awards to be presented include the Asian Tour Order of Merit, Rookie of the Year and Special Achievement Award.