Two weeks back Anirban Lahiri was much of a budding golfer with two wins on the Asian Tour trying to find his feet at the World stage. But now his exploits at the British Open has been made him a revered icon for all the upcoming golfers in the country. He is one of the most talked about sportsperson in India over the past few weeks all thanks to his tied 31st position in the British Open, his first Major tournament.
His performance at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, the venue for Open Championship of Golf saw him finish ahead of the likes of Jeev Milkha Singh, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, ranked second and third in the world respectively.
Even though finishing tied 31st does not mean that he won the tournament, but such an inspired performance including a hole in one at par 3 ninth hole in the third round is a clear indication of things to come.
Lahiri ended a dream week at The Open Championship on Sunday with a new self-belief that he can stand his ground against the world’s best players and can definitely take his game to new heights.
The Bangalore based golfer who turned pro in 2007 qualified for the Asian Tour in 2008 and since then there was no looking back for him. In his short career he already has nine professional titles in his kitty including two Asian Tour victories (Panasonic Open 2011, SAIL-SBI Open 2012). Both his victories came at the hallowed Delhi Golf Club, New Delhi.
Since his early playing days, he has been touted as the next big thing in golf after the magical trio of Jeev, Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa. And bingo, he lived up to the billing and his last week’s escapade has not only shot him to the big stage but also did set a new benchmark for his contemporaries and upcoming golfers.
Lahiri playing in his first major went with a realistic aim and wanted to put his best and enjoy the week. And so he did, after making the cut on a course which even the highly accomplished golfers find it tough, the little known Indian set the whole golfing world go tizzy when he drove a nine iron to perfection to sink in the first ace of 2012 Open Championships in the par 3 ninth hole in round three.
His marked his authority with a thumping note and has earned his respect in the golfing world. His performance in England would inspire other golfers to dream big and also see more big names from the game attracted to play in India.
By Samikshan Dutta Choudhary
Indian Sports News