Eurasia Cup: Lahiri in high spirits

March 19, 2014: India’s Anirban Lahiri is all geared up to live up to the honour bestowed upon him to represent team Asia in inaugural EurAsia Cup scheduled for March 27 to 29th in Malaysia.

“The feeling sunk in only a few weeks ago when I had to go to the tailor and get my measurements for the team jacket and send it to the Tour. I’m really excited. Gagan and I were both talking about the importance of the EurAsia Cup too,” Lahiri  said to the Asian Tour .

“It’s nice to be part of a team which want the same thing which is to beat Europe. We’re looking forward to it,” added the 26-year-old.

[highlight] We’ve always grown up watching Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup which are the two biggest team events in the world and EurAsia Cup will come in right behind those two events [/highlight]

Currently ranked 99th in the world, Lahiri moved inside the elite club of top-100 on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) for the first time since turning professional in 2007 last week.  Lahiri has pledged to replicate his individual form for team gloryas he gets involved in a contest of this format for the first time.

“We’ve always grown up watching Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup which are the two biggest team events in the world and EurAsia Cup will come in right behind those two events.

I’ve played in a few team events in India, which was stroke play, but this will be match play in four-ball and foursomes format. It’s going to be a new experience. Even as amateurs, you play team events but you still play it as stroke play and individually,” said Lahiri.

A three-time winner on the Asian Tour, Lahiri was consistent in 2013. It began with a win at SAIL-SBI, he finished second at Selangor Masters, Venetian Macau Open and Hero Indian Open. The 26-year-old Bangalorean captured back-to-back titles on the home-based Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) including the year-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship and the Ahmadabad Masters this January.

Lahiri, who missed a chance to qualify for the British Open 2014 through Asian qualifying event is banking on the European Tour co-sanctioned events – the Maybank Malaysian Open (starting from April 17 in Kuala Lumpur) and The Championship (starting in Seoul from May 1), to get an entry into coveted Major to be held in July.

If Lahiri retains his place inside the top-100 till July 27, he can see himself competing at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky for the PGA Championship, the final Major of the year.