Anirban Lahiri at WGC-HSBC Champions

Report by Anand Datla

November 4, 2014: The Race to Dubai is gathering steam, with the Sheshan International Golf Club playing host this week to the WGC – HSBC Champions. The event is the second of four in the lucrative Final Series that climaxes in the Dubai desert later this month. Anirban Lahiri is the lone Indian in a glittering field of golfers. The Indian will be looking to do better this week after finishing a disappointing T52 at the CIMB Masters.

The US$8.5million event features Jamie Donaldson and Justin Rose, who were in T4 at the BMW Masters, the US Open Champion Martin Kaymer, Sergio Garcia, Victor Dubuisson, Henrik Stenson, Thomas Bjørn and Stephen Gallacher.

Donaldson is in second behind Rory McIlroy on the Race to Dubai rankings. Garcia is in third, ahead of Marcel Siem who jumped to fourth on the strength of his success at the BMW Masters. Rose and Stenson are in fifth and sixth positions respectively.

Lahiri is among a group of seven debutants, making their first appearance in the World Golf Championships event. He is among the last groups of golfers teeing off from the first hole on Thursday. Lahiri will line up alongside Marc Warren and JB Holmes at 1030hrs local time in Shanghai.

Rose, Stenson and Bubba Watson pair up for their first round at the 10th tee. Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker will keep company with Martin Kaymer, in another of the last groups to tee off from the 10th hole.

BMW Masters winner Siem will play alongside Ernie Els and Ryan Moore, who was in terrific form in Kuala Lumpur. Moore became the first man to defend the CIMB Masters when he won last week.

With the field loaded with 40 of the top 50 golfers in the world, Lahiri will consider a top 20 finish an unqualified success this week. A good result will also give Lahiri the confidence needed to launch a final assault on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. The Indian is trailing David Lipsky on the list. Incidentally, the American is in the field too in Shanghai this week.