Shaili Chopra, Founder Golfingindian.com

There is no place like St Andrews

There is no place like St Andrews. The home of golf and the mecca for every pro. That’s where one of golf’s most special tournaments – The Open …

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There is no place like St Andrews. The home of golf and the mecca for every pro. That’s where one of golf’s most special tournaments – The Open Championship– returns this week. St Andrews for the uninitiated is where golf was born. It is believed golf was played here in 1400s.

 

The Open Championship this time is in some unique circumstances. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion has withdrawn thanks to a knee injury that happened playing soccer. Tiger Woods and his game remains in a flux as the former number one has slipped through outside the world top 200 rankings. And then there is what I call the ‘Surge of Spieth’ – this young man all of 21 winning tournaments with a deadline and collecting all precious trophies.

 

 The home of golf and the mecca for every pro. 

 

For India, The Open at St Andrews is special as Anirban Lahiri is playing the tournament for the first time at the Old Course. It’s his debut on the Scottish links although he has played and headlines The Open twice in the past. Once for picking an ace in 2012. For Lahiri, the only Indian in the field, playing here is extraordinary.

 

“I have never been to St Andrews or played there before. For me its going to be a brand new experience and so being at St Andrews, getting the opportunity to play that historic course at the Open itself is quite exhilarating. As a kid I have always wanted to play at St Andrews and to be making my debut at St Andrews with the Open is phenomenal. This year is very special just in terms of having the opportunity to play my first event at August and St Andrews within a few months is special.”

 

Anirban Lahiri is playing the tournament for the first time at the Old Course

 

Since 1860, The Open has been played over some of the world’s best courses and has produced great champions. It is the oldest championship in professional golf and the Claret Jug – first presented in 1873 – is one of the most revered for trophies. And so playing golf here is something special, and shows why golfers the world over consider it their sacred duty to experience it at least once. The 700 year old Swilcan Bridge, the menacing bunkers like Hell (14th hole and 10 ft deep) or the infamous Road bunker on the 17th.

 

You have to be a lot more creative and have enough arsenal for Links golf

 

Working this course isn’t easy by any means. And that’s what Lahiri is prepping for. “A 110 yard shot could be a ball that’s played a 110 yards, it could be played 80 yards, it could even be played 50 yards and there are even you know instances where you could use a putter from 50-60 yards out. You have to be a lot more creative and have enough arsenal that you should be able to play with confidence. Just in terms of what Links golf expects from you in terms of creativity and imagination than Parkland golf. And I think that’s a big difference (between playing in Scotland and else where). And having played two Open championships, and then I was at Royal Country Downs the other day, which is another links course. It really helps to get to know these and the more you hit, the better it gets for your game.”

 

For India and Lahiri this is then the perfect time to use the opportunity to build on his game, experience and get into contention at the temple of golf.

 

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