Hero World Challenge: Anirban Lahiri excited about playing in Bahamas

November 05, 2015: India’s top golfer Anirban Lahiri will play in the Hero World Challenge 2015, thereby becoming the first Indian player to feature in the prestigious PGA-sanctioned tournament, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Lahiri, who is the brand ambassador of Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer, earned his PGA TOUR card for the 2015-16 season and made headlines in 2015 after winning twice worldwide, including the Hero Indian Open. He also became the first Indian player to feature in the Presidents Cup last month.

Tournament host Tiger Woods, whose Tiger Woods Foundation is the event’s charitable beneficiary along with the Tavistock Foundation and Albany Scholars Program, said “I am grateful for the opportunity to showcase an elite field that, with its international players, represents the success of golf worldwide. I’m looking forward to bringing the Hero World Challenge to a world-class venue in Albany, and I am glad to continue our partnership with Hero MotoCorp as the tournament’s title sponsor. Hero’s global presence helps elevate the profile of our event across the world.”

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, CEO & Managing Director, Hero MotoCorp, said “Hero’s association with Tiger Woods and the Hero World Challenge is reflective of our rapidly growing global footprint. Our association with the event has been an exciting one and this year, we are happy to introduce Hero ambassador and Indian talent Anirban Lahiri to this prestigious marquee event. We have had a great first season in 2014 and we are looking forward to hosting this season with Tiger.”

Anirban Lahiri said, “I’m truly delighted and honored to receive an invitation to the Hero World Challenge, which is being played in Albany in The Bahamas this year. I want to thank Mr. Pawan Munjal who has been a great support, not just for me personally but to sport and Golf in India and taking it global. I would like to thank my hero Tiger Woods and the Tiger Woods Foundation for hosting such a fantastic event for such a great cause. It is going to be quite a challenge and I look forward to coming out and hopefully putting up a strong performance.”

Lahiri, 28, played all four Majors and World Golf Championships in 2015, and the highlight of the year was fifth place finish at the PGA Championships, the best-ever by an Indian.

Major championship winners Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and Zach Johnson headline the field for the 2015 Hero World Challenge, announced today and featuring 18 of the world’s top-ranked golfers.

Moving outside of the United States for the first time, the 17th-annual Hero World Challenge will be played at the luxury resort community of Albany in The Bahamas from December 2-6 and will feature Spieth – winner of both the Masters and U.S. Open – alongside PGA Championship winner Day, British Open winner Johnson and 15 other golfers who produced some of the biggest highlights of 2015.

Spieth, the defending champion, will play the event for the third time, hoping to cap a dream 2015 on the golf course while competing against an elite international field representing the United States, Australia, England, India and Japan.

Already this year, the 22-year-old Spieth has won his first two major championships, claimed the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup title, captured PGA TOUR Player of the Year honors and ascended to the No. 1 world ranking. Spieth and 2013 Hero World Challenge winner Johnson are the only two past event champions in the field. Johnson, who also finished runner-up in 2007 and 2011, will be making his eighth appearance in the event, which is the most of anyone in the field.

The Hero World Challenge is a four-round, 72-hole stroke play event with a $3.5 million purse, a $1 million winner’s prize and Official World Golf Ranking points awarded. It will be held at the challenging par-72, 7,267-yard Albany for the first time.