Padamjit bullish about Anirban

An interview with Padamjit Sandhu of the PGTI

April 07, 2015: There is plenty of buzz in the golfing community surrounding Anirban Lahiri’s debut at The Masters this week. We caught up with Padamjit Sandhu, Director of the PGTI for an interview on Anirban’s prospects this week. We also discussed what the young golfers success means to the game in India. Read on.

Anand Datla: Padamjit, thank you for speaking with us from Ahmedabad. These are exciting times for Indian golf with the strong emergence of Anirban Lahiri.

Padamjit Sandhu: Yes of course. These are exciting times indeed and we are all looking forward to see Anirban do well this week.

AD: The PGTI has been growing in stature with each passing season. Can you tell us about the role its plays in the development of Indian players and how this helps them transition to the international Tours?

PS: We are a busy Tour. The PGTI provides the players with an opportunity to play the game for over 20 weeks in very competitive settings. Besides this we also have co-sanctioned events with both the Asian and European Tours, which means our golfers now have a window of nearly 28 weeks where they compete with the best golfers.

The Tour helps the players develop their game and learn the many other nuances needed to succeed as a golfer. We believe a strong platform is now available for the players to grow as professionals and go on to compete with the best in the world.

AD: Let us talk about Anirban. What do you think of his chances at Augusta this week?

PS: I think Anirban has building up really well. I think it is going to be an exciting week for everyone. I am particularly thrilled about the fact that he shot a 3-under 69 at the Houston Open. The layout is similar to the one at Augusta and that round should give Anirban a lot of confidence going into the big one this week.

AD: You have been at the Masters a couple of times. Can you look through your lenses and tell us why the course is such a great challenge?

PS: The layout is very demanding, the greens are very quick. Players need to take a solid short game this week. The greens are set up to be difficult with variable gradients. So the chipping becomes a critical aspect as well. It is a place that reminds you that a 20 footer uphill is much better than a 5 feet downhill putt.

More importantly, the galleries are bustling with people, thousands of them. And that adds to the experience. At this level every golfer has the game, question is how they handle themselves with the whole experience of playing at such a great event.

AD: Even though there have been other players who have been at the majors from India, the buzz around Anirban has been at a different level altogether. What are your reflections on the excitement surrounding Anirban’s success?

PS: In the past, our golfers went into the big events after being outside India for a long time. In the case of Anirban, we have literally seen him grow over the past twelve months. He has spent a lot of time playing in India during this time as well. The rise of Anirban has been spectacular to say the least. At 27, he has fired through the Asian Tour and the European Tour straight to the highest level.

And perhaps the fact that we have shared in this journey and success is helping accentuate the buzz around Anirban. It will be fantastic to see him do well this week.

AD: There is a strong belief that golf in India is in a good spot right now and many others are promising to follow in the footsteps of Anirban. How do you rate the prospects of the younger generation playing on the PGTI right now?

PS: I think the prospects are very bright. We have some of our golfers doing well already on the Asian and European Tours. Players like SSP Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar are leading the way there. And the younger lot is making steady progress. Rashid Khan, Chikkarangappa, Shubhankar Sharma and the list goes on.

Just last week, what Khalin Joshi achieved at the Ahmedabad Masters was an incredible feat. It was mighty impressive for him to shoot 9-under in conditions that were far from perfect. There were howling winds and he managed a 63 to come from behind for the victory. We will see a lot more of these boys come to the fore in the time to come.

AD: Thank you Padamjit for speaking with us on the eve of Anirban’s debut at the Masters. Final thoughts on the week for Anirban.

PS: I think he is playing a solid game right now. I believe he can compete well this week.