Anirban Lahiri: First among equals

“He hadn’t done much so they never focused on him during telecast. I told Anirban to stop playing in the US, staying up all night takes a toll on my body. For all that sacrifice, I couldn’t even see him,” Tushar, an Army doctor, jokes.

This weekend, however, he did not have to struggle to catch a glimpse of his son. Anirban was up there with the leader pack, with the commentators raving about him and the cameras closely following every move he made over the weekend as he re-wrote the record books by achieving highest-ever finish by an Indian at a golf Major.

Anirban finished tied fifth with a total score of 13-under at the PGA Championships in Wisconsin, seven shots behind winner Jason Day of Australia. However, he surpassed previous best set by Jeev Milkha Singh, who had finished tied ninth at the same Major in 2008.

“It finally seemed as if he belonged there. It’s an incredibly proud moment,” the golfer’s father says. Anirban echoes his sentiments. “This gives me so much confidence. It also says I can compete with the best… I didn’t feel out of place,” he said after the final round of four-under-par 68 on Sunday.

It was Arjun Atwal who urged him to move out of the comfort zone in Asia and grind it out in the USA, where the level of competition is much higher.

And Anirban did just that. He has earned roughly $2 million in career earnings but his biggest claim to fame is hitting a hole in one during his Major debut in 2012. The 28-year-old has been at all four Majors this year — again the first Indian to do so — and has enjoyed a whirlwind 18 months. He has won four times on the Asian Tour, clinching a title every year since 2011. Crucially, two of those crowns have come in tournaments co-sanctioned by the European Tour, which carry more weight.

The consistency has helped him move up the rankings, which have surged from 195th to 38th in the last 18 months. Anirban is now ranked higher than Major winners like Charl Schwartzel, Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Webb Simpson and Tiger Woods.

The latest ranking has also all but assured his place in the International team against USA for the prestigious Presidents Cup. Nick Price, the International team captain this year, has been following Anirban’s progress with great interest.

Anirban will become the first Indian player to compete in the biennial event, to be held in South Korea this October.

“Looks like he can make a big putt on a big occasion. He’s very calm, collected, and I think he’s going to be an asset to our team,” Price was quoted as saying by the New York Times earlier this year.

The golfer’s father, however, is just relieved that his long, sleepless nights won’t be entirely pointless. “I guess I won’t have to wait to see his name just on scoreboards now. They’ll show more of him and hopefully, he’ll have more such performances,” he says.

From 111th, to Asia’s best

Father, coach combo

Lahiri began playing golf aged eight while accompanying his father, a recreational golfer, to the Army course in Bangalore. At 14, he started training under Vijay Divecha, who continues to train him even today. Lahiri would make a train journey from Secunderabad to Bangalore every Saturday morning, practice for two days before returning in time for school on Monday. His father would scavenge for videos for his son to watch and learn as well as relevant golf articles for him to read.

Structured progression

He continued in the amateur circuit till the time he had enough international experience. He turned pro in 2007, slugged it out in India and Asia. He joined the Asian Tour in 2008, when he finished 111th on the Order of Merit list. He tops the list this year.

Overall game

His is a story of doing the little things right. Lahiri has a powerful drive, as was evident last week in Wisconsin when he won the Long Drive Competition. His putting is extremely effective and consistent. Lahiri is a regular practitioner of Vipasana, which he claims helps in concentration and fitness.

‘Major’ achievement

Lahiri made his Major debut in 2012 at The Open where he fired a hole-in-one in the third round before finishing tied 31st. The last 18 months have been particularly rewarding. He has won three big titles, including the Malaysian Open and Indian Open — two events co-sanctioned by the European Tour. The winning streak helped him break into the top-50 of the world and paved the way for direct entry into the Majors this year.

$2mn

Approximate career earnings. His biggest prize money cheque so far has been US$ 500,000 for winning the Malaysian Open 2015.

18
Number of titles Lahiri has won as a professional, including seven internationally. His first title came in 2011 (Panasonic Open) and has won a title every year since then.

Major performances

US Masters (2015) — Tied 49th. US Open (2015) — Missed Cut. British Open (3 appearances): 2012 — tied 31st; 2014 — missed cut; 2015 — tied 30th. PGA Championship (2 appearances): 2014 — missed cut; 2015 — T5

“The real journey begins now for him. Now the attention would shift to Asia and even the European Tour events will be played in Asia. We have been working on his putting in the last few months and playing in different conditions. Managing pressure will be the key. Getting a PGA Tour card will also be a priority.”
Vijay Divecha, coach

“I am delighted that my record has been broken. This shows progress for Indian golf, and that makes me happier. This performance will also be a massive boost to other Indian players and I hope it inculcates a healthy competitive feeling. What Anirban has done should be launch pad for many such success stories from India.”

Jeev Milkha Singh, Golfer

—mihir vasavda & nitin Sharma