Anirban Lahiri wins Malaysian Open

Anirban Lahiri is a winner on the European Tour. The Indian won the Maybank Malaysian Open by one shot.

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Anirban Lahiri is a winner on the European Tour

 

Report by Anand Datla

 

February 08, 2015: If Anirban Lahiri is the face of Indian Golf’s current generation, it just added a glorious new sheen with his emphatic victory at the Maybank Malaysian Open. The young Indian was outside the top 20 at the halfway stage but a remarkable 62 in the third round helped him burst into contention. And from fifth on the leaderboard, Lahiri played a fantastic final round to waltz past Bernd Wiesberger to clinch his maiden European Tour victory by one shot. The 73rd ranked Indian played with terrific poise on Sunday to edge Bernd Wiesberger to the title with a 68 to finish at 16-under 272.

 

It also helped that Lahiri was four under for the final round when the men around him were struggling to make par. None of the other men inside the top three managed to break par in the final round – Weisberger and Alejandro Canizares shot 74, Paul Waring managed 73 and Lee Westwood stumbled to a 75 as they all made way for the brilliant Indian.

 

Incidentally there was another 68 too that brought cheer to Indian golf. SSP Chowrasia shot a third straight score in the 60s to force his way inside the top 10 too as the two men scripted another memorable chapter into the blossoming story of Indian golf. Rashid Khan was very impressive too – scoring a 67 to finish 36th after making 73 in each of the first three rounds.

 

The other Indian to have made the cut was Shiv Kapur. He finished 46th after matching his best effort of the week with a 71 in the final round to bring up the rear end of a story that will retold a few times till we find someone from India goes on to win a major. Meanwhile, the Indian contingent will fly to New Delhi with their confidence riding high and hopes soaring for the Hero Indian Open in about ten days time.

 

Anirban Lahiri is a winner on the European TourBack to Anirban Lahiri – the 27-year-old Lahiri, who trailed by five strokes heading into the final round, closed with a four-under-par 68 at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s West course to lift the Seagram trophy and champion’s cheque of US$500,000.

 

His sixth career Asian Tour victory and first co-sanctioned title on the European Tour is likely to propel him into the world’s top-40, putting him in prime position to qualify for the Masters Tournament in April, the year’s first Major, and also the International Team for the Presidents Cup later this year.

 

Lahiri said: “I don’t think it has sunk in just yet but I’m pretty sure when it does, I’ll be pretty happy. This win is very, very special as it’s my first on the European Tour. I think I’ve got a bad habit to make it hard for myself. I’m happy I managed to get it over the line towards as ugly as it was towards the end.”

 

“I knew Bernd got off to a hot start. I didn’t know how far back I was until the back nine. That was when my caddie pointed out that he had dropped a couple. I knew I was in the hunt and I knew I needed one more birdie to come home.”

 

The final twist came at the 17th hole during an engaging final round. Wiesberger overcooked his approach shot on the 17th and as the ball sailed longer than desired, the German was left rue the bogey that sent him one back with only the final hole to come. Lahiri, having calmed his own nerves after a bogey at the 13th, only needed to make par after Wiesberger left his effort for birdie at the 18th too short.

 

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