The Open: Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Kapur set for Birkdale battle

Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Kapur seek to make the most of their form as they make the fifth and third appearances respectively at The Open this week.

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Anirban Lahiri of India

July 19, 2017: It is not often that we have two Indians in the field of a major championship. This is only the seventh time that we have two Indians in the field of a major championship. On the previous occasion, it was Anirban Lahiri and Jeev Milkha Singh that flew the Indian flag together at the US Open in 2016.

Both Shiv Kapur and Anirban have been in good form this season. The two have produced some brilliant golf down the stretch to notch up impressive rounds on the Asian Tour and the PGA respectively.

They will hope and expect that they are able to pull out some of their best golf this week as they seek to improve upon their Open records and bring glory to Indian sport.

It would be a tectonic event if either of them were contending for honours on the 72nd hole on Sunday. The Claret Jug could assume even greater mythical respect in India, should either of these golfers bring it home at the end of the week.

Anirban has made four appearances in The Open so far. He has a good return from the tournament, including a solid debut. He was tied 31st in 2012 followed by a missed cut in 2014, a creditable tied 30th in 2015 and T68 in 2016.

In fact Anirban is the only other Indian besides Jeev Milkha Singh to have made the cut on their first appearance in a major championship.

Shiv Kapur has made two appearances so far at The Open. He missed the cut in his first appearance back in 2006. Shiv finished T73 in 2013.

This is going to be his fifth appearance in a major event tying him with Arjun Atwal and Jyoti Randhawa in terms of number of major tournaments played.

Anirban on the other hand, will be playing his 12th major tournament, as he inches closer to Jeev’s record of most major appearances for an Indian golfer.

 

By Anand Datla

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