Anirban Lahiri cracks OWGR Top-40

Edited by Anand Datla

February 09, 2015: Anirban Lahiri has made a giant leap into the World’s Top-40 as he moved to 37th place in Official World Golf Rankings following his win at the co-sanctioned Maybank Malaysian Open on Sunday. It was a breakthrough win on the European Tour for Lahiri, who also has six successes on the Asian Tour.  Lahiri, who finished at 64th at the end of 2014, started the week at 73rd and improved 36 places with his latest win.

But the work has just begun for the 27-year-old Bengaluru golfer, who is now re-working his goals for the year 2015. Lahiri, who will be one of the biggest draws at the Hero Indian Open, is looking forward to adding the National Open to his kitty. He said, “Winning big events is always a goal, and for us Indian golfers, winning the Hero Indian Open means a lot because it is our National Open. In the last few years I have come close to it, and was tied second last time around, so I would like to set that record straight.”

Lahiri, also the Brand Ambassador of Hero, added, “The Hero Indian Open will be held on a course I have come to love. My first three wins on Asian Tour came at this course and I have learnt how to handle this course, which till a few years ago had intimidated me.”

At the last edition of the Hero Indian Open in November 2013, Lahiri and his teammate, SSP Chowrasia were tied second as Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh bagged the title. “It was a case of so near and yet so far”, said Lahiri.

A year before that in 2012, Lahiri was tied fifth in Bengaluru and in 2009, he was tied third, so he would be really hoping to make up for those close misses. Talking of his immediate plans, Lahiri said, “This week I tee up in Thailand and then it is time for Hero Indian Open. I like both the courses and events and it will be a good time to get some good results.”

Lahiri’s 37th position in World Rankings is the second best ever by an Indian after Jeev Milkha Singh, who was in the Top-30 back in March 2009. While this is the first week in Top-50 for Lahiri, Jeev spent a total of 66 weeks at different times in Top-50.

Lahiri has already qualified for the British Open following his result in Thailand Golf Championships late last year and on current form, he should also get into PGA Championships. If he stays inside Top-50 till the week before the Masters, he will also get an invite for the year’s first Major and a Top-50 should also get him into the US Open.

“It is always the goal of a professional golfer to play as many Majors as possible and World Golf Championships for that’s where the world’s best are. I feel I can do well at any level and my game is progressing well.”

The 51st edition of the Hero Indian Open will be held at the Delhi Golf Club from February 19 to 22, 2014.

As many as 27 of the Asian Tour’s Top-30 from 2014 Order of Merit will be teeing up and each and every star in Indian golf, including Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa, Shiv Kapur, SSP Chowrasia, Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rashid Khan among others are all set for the Asian Tour’s flagship event, which is also co-sanctioned with the European Tour from this year.

The international starcast will include Miguel Angel Jimenez, winner of 25 events around the world, five-time European Tour winner, Brett Rumford, Scott Hend, Liang Wen-chong, defending champion Siddikur Rehman of Bangladesh, Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant, the most successful player ever in Asia and Prayad Marksaeng.