Indians hopeful at Queen’s Cup

3rd June, 2014. The Queen’s Cup as a golf tournament that convened in 2009 is set to bring new hopes for Indian champions like Anirban Lahiri and Rahil Gangee. Lahiri who has been on top of the Asian Order of Merit list is looking forward to the event in an attempt to retain his number one position this season.

“It feels great to be top on the Asian Tour Order of Merit right now. One of my goals at the beginning of this year was to contend for the Order of Merit. I am glad I got off to a good start,” said Lahiri. Other players like Siddikur Rehman, SSP Chowrasia,Prom Messawat from Thailand, Rikard Karlberg from Sweden , Arnond Vongvanij, will also be contending for the cut in Santiburi Samui Island of Bangkok. After the Phillippines Open in 2014, the rank of the top five players in Asian Order of Merit has been Anirban Lahiri, Rikard Karlberg, David Lipsky, Rahil Gangee. While Lahiri has an earning worth $ 243,000, Karlberg’s worth 143,300 and Gangee’s stands at $103,636.

Asian Tour is the primary men’s professional golf tour in whole of Asia apart from the Japan’s Japan Tour. Over the years Indian players like Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal, Jyoti Randhawa have taken turns to lead the Asian Tour Order of Merit list with Milkha Singh being the second highest career money winner in this list. This year it could be a different story if players like Lahiri , Gangee or Chowrasia could bag the Queen’s Cup. With coveted prize money of $300,000, winning this could actually change the topography of Indian golf. Asian Tour’s success story will initiate the rise of several golfers. It will also lead to many more sponsors investing in the game across Asia. An Indian player like Lahiri believes that his current ranking owes a lot to the Asian Tour where foundation is concerned.

Chandrani Datta

@cdplaying