Indians To Watch Out For: Anirban Lahiri
Anirban Lahiri, winner of seven international titles will spearhead India’s campaign at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Lahiri along with SSP Chawrasia and the young 18-year-old Aditi Ashok (Women’s event) make the squad for golf which makes its return after 112 years (since 1904 Olympics) at the Olympic Games. Lahiri has been making strides throughout the Golf circuit and has won several distinctions in the past year.
Qualification
Asia’s top golfer Anirban Lahiri, World Rank 62, is placed 20th in the International Golf Federation’s (IGF) ranking. This ensures a ticket to Rio Olympics for the talented and in-form Anirban Lahiri.
Route to Rio
29-year-old Lahiri had earlier participated at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and was part of the Indian team that won the Silver medal. He enjoyed a fine 2015 with two European Tour wins and a tied-fifth place in the prestigious PGA Championship. The Bengaluru-based golfer’s PGA performance stands as the best by any Indian. Lahiri, who made history by becoming the first Indian to be a part of the International Team at the Presidents Cup, is competing in the PGA Tour this season.
In February 2015, Lahiri claimed his first official win in the European Tour at the Maybank Malaysian Open. In the same month, Lahiri won his second event in the European Tour in front of home-country fans at the Hero Indian Open. The two wins improved Lahiri’s ranking into the top 50 standing of the Official World Golf Ranking, making him eligible for the 2015 Masters Tournament. He thus became only the third Indian national to play in the Masters after Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal.
Tournament | Wins | Events won | Top-5 finish |
Masters | 0 | 2 | 0 |
US Open | 0 | 2 | 0 |
The Open Championship | 0 | 3 | 0 |
PGA Championship | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Total | 0 | 9 | 1 |
Medal Quest
Numerous top golfers have withdrawn from the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In fact, only four among the top ten golfers will participate in the Games. Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Rory Mcllroy, the world’s top four male golfers have withdrawn from the event. While some cited the Zika virus outspread as a possible threat for their withdrawal from the prestigious games.
Chawrasia will make a formidable pair with Lahiri as both the golfers have been at the top of their game. India has a dark-horse chance of securing a medal due to these high number of pull outs.
Lahiri is delighted to qualify for the Rio Olympics and is eager to win a medal. ‘Olympian Anirban Lahiri sounds good, but Olympic medalist Anirban Lahiri would sound way better….’ said Lahiri.