Anirban Lahiri set for Presidents Cup debut

BENGALURU: Ace Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri, who won two European Tour titles in three weeks last month, is on course to become the first Indian to make the International team for the Presidents Cup against USA to be held in Incheon, Korea, in October.
Having risen to a career-high No. 34 in the world on the back of wins at the Malaysian Open and the Indian Open last week, the 27-year-old Bengalurean is fifth in the rankings among the International golfers to make the team to be captained by Zimbabwe's Nick Price.
"Making the Presidents Cup is something that I'm hoping would happen," Lahiri told TOI before leaving for the $9.25 million WGC event in Miami. "I would love to play as it is the most prestigious event for a non European to compete in a team format," he added.
"Having played the EurAsia Cup last year was a phenomenal experience," continued Lahiri, who played a huge role in Asia holding the formidable Europe to a 10-10 tie in the inaugural edition last March in Malaysia. "Playing the Presidents Cup would probably be one step up, or the highest step up you could have in that format," the golfer said.
"You are going to have people like Adam Scott, Jason Day and Hideki Matsuyama on the Presidents Cup team and to be a part of that group of people and to call them teammates would be really something," said Lahiri, who was back at the Eagleton Golf Resort to fine-tune his game for the American leg after the Indi an Open triumph last week.
"It would be great if I somehow manage to get on the team, where no Indian has figured. It would be huge for us in India as well," he said.
Jeev Milkha Singh, following his wins on three different tours in 2008, nearly became the first Indian to make the team in 2009. Unfortunately, Captain Greg Norman overlooked the country's flagbearer in golf. If Lahiri keeps performing like he has been doing in the last couple of months ­ he had won two Asian Tour titles last season too ­ he could well script a new chapter for Indian golf in October.