Australian Open Release, 13 November 2018:
The 2018 #AusOpenGolf is just around the corner and those getting to The Lakes Golf Club early on Thursday morning will be treated to a show. Among them delivering it will be Anirban Lahiri, who flew into Australia looking for some preparation ahead of the World Cup of Golf. Anirban and Gaganjeet Bhullar will represent India in that event next week.
Off the par-4 10th tee at 6:55am will be two-time Australian Open champion Robert Allenby, alongside the European Tour’s Marcus Fraser and recent Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship winner Takumi Kanaya from Japan.
The next away is the morning’s marquee group, with Australia’s own Cameron Smith, PGA Tour star Brandt Snedeker and Indian sensation Anirban Lahiri off at 7:05am.
Anirban is coming off a brilliant week in the Mexican desert. The Indian was in stellar form, firing four rounds in the 60s to secure yet another top 10 finish on the PGA TOUR.
The 31-year-old looked set to be in contention midway through Saturday, but a couple of bogeys and an untimely double bogey derailed the Indian’s quest for a maiden PGA TOUR victory.
“We’re thrilled to host Anirban for the first time,” said the Golf Australia CEO, Stephen Pitt. “He obviously has a huge following in India and we would love nothing more than to see a good result in Sydney to push him towards his third straight Presidents Cup.”
In the following group Greg Chalmers will fly the flag for the locals, the West Australian grouped with American Brendan Steele and Korean Byeong Hun An.
On Thursday afternoon it’s an all-star affair off the 1st tee at 12:10pm, with defending champion Cameron Davis grouped with four-time PGA Tour winner Matt Kuchar and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer.
Behind them will be Queensland’s John Senden, alongside another PGA Tour star in Keegan Bradley and Norwegian young gun Viktor Hovland.
Next off the 1st will be another PGA Tour winner from the Sunshine State, Rod Pampling, as well as Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Victorian amateur Dave Micheluzzi.
