Can Anirban leave Masters imprint?

A column on Anirban Lahiri’s debut at The Masters

April 06, 2015: As Anirban Lahiri walks through Magnolia Lane to reach the iconic club house of the Augusta National Golf Club, you can bet your bottom penny that the golfer will be flooded with an avalanche of emotions. The journey to Augusta is filled with poignancy for almost every visitor and the experience is accentuated if you are a golfer.

Generally speaking, rarely would you expect an American institution to stand the test of tradition with one in Europe. While St. Andrews and The Open are still the greatest spiritual experience in golf, the Masters is a rare American exception that rivals it pound for pound.

Anirban has already experienced the aroma that surrounds The Open. So he will not be completely new to the hair raising experience that shall greet him at Augusta this week. Even so the young man will have to take in the overwhelming flood that is set to drench him at the greatest golfing institution on this side of the Atlantic.

“It’s easy to get a little overwhelmed and overawed with the history and tradition of the event,” admitted Lahiri. “It’s a place of reverence, it’s like a holy place and you can get lost in the temple.”

“I’ll spend as much time there on Monday and Tuesday and get over the big moment of being there,” added the Indian. “My first tee shot will be a huge one. After that first few shots, how I can focus will be very important.”

His first task though will be to make the cut and get through to the weekend. Augusta has traditionally been a tough course to score on. Lahiri can be happy with himself if he can keep even with the iconic course.

But it is going to be a tall order. In his last two outings on the PGA Tour, Lahiri has struggled to make an impression. The 35th ranked player struggled for relevance at the WGC Cadillac Championship and the first round of the Houston Open this past week.

The Indian might have taken some positives though, as he strung together an impressive 69 in the second round last week. The course at Houston has several similarities with the design at Augusta and despite not making the cut, his effort in the second round should have given him plenty of confidence.

An early exit in Texas also meant that Anirban could arrive early in Augusta and spend some time acclimatising himself with the imposing environs of The Masters. The 27 year old from Bengaluru has three rounds of practice as he prepares himself for one of the biggest challenges of developing career. Come Thursday, it will be more about nerves and focus and less about golf. That the man has an impeccable game is beyond debate; question is can he put it all together on the biggest stages of the game?

Besides the obvious benefits of a good showing for Anirban this week, there could be plenty of other beneficiaries. The Asian Tour and the PGTI have been witnessing a steady growth in recent years. A positive result for Anirban has the potential to inspire young men and women in India and Asia, helping to deepen the roots for golf in the region.