SAIL-SBI: Lahiri aims for hat-trick

February 20, 2014: Two-time SAIL-SBI Open champion, Anirban Lahiri will face host of challengers as he readies to defend his title for the third time in coming week. Lahiri who finished third on the Merit list last season, will aim for a hat-trick at the venerable Delhi Golf Club from February 26 to March 1 against a field which includes Indian Open title holder Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh and Malaysia’s Nicholas Fung, the 2013 Asian Development Tour number one.

The season-opening SAIL-SBI Open has attracted a stellar line-up of stars from the Asian Tour, with five players from the top-10 of last year’s final Order of Merit and 13 of the top-20 committed to the popular tournament next week.

Former Order of Merit champions Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and India’s Jyoti Randhawa, who finished top-20 last year, will also be back to challenge for the SAIL-SBI Open title at a venue which they have tasted victory in the past.

Others in the stellar field for the US$300,000 tournament include Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng, winner of the season-ending King’s Cup Golf Hua Hin in January, countrymen Prom Meesawat, Chawalit Plalphol, Chapchai Nirat and Arnond Vongvanij, Filipino Angelo Que, India’s S.S.P. Chowrasia, Korea’s Kim Gi-whan and American Berry Henson.

Lahiri, who won the SAIL-SBI Open in 2012 and 2013, will need to be at his best as the likes of Chowrasia and Karlberg have also won at the Delhi Golf Club previously on the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia.

The SAIL-SBI Open will also be the first tournament for the recent Qualifying School graduates to shine on the region’s premier Tour.

Japan’s Akinori Tani, who topped the Qualifying School, will be in the fray alongside Singaporean Lam Chih Bing, Korean duo Lee Tae-hee and Shin Hyuk-chul and Pakistan’s Hamza Amin, who earned his Tour card on his third try at the Qualifying School.

India’s rising star Rashid Khan, who lost to Lahiri in a play-off last year, will be back to challenge for the tournament as a full member of the Tour after a highly success campaign where he finished 41st on the Order of Merit.

All eyes will be on Lahiri as he seeks to launch his 2014 campaign on a winning note. Following his third Asian Tour success, the 26-year-old went on to register three other runner-up finishes and two more top-fives to rack up US$517,030 in winnings.

Thanks to his career best finish to date, Lahiri also earned a spot in Team Asia to face Europe in the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM, which is a Ryder Cup style showdown, next month.

Currently ranked 106th in the world, Lahiri is aiming to crack the top-50 this season and a successful title defence at the SAIL-SBI Open will be the ideal launchpad towards his goal.

“My aim for 2014 will be to get into the top-50 on the world rankings. Of course the ultimate dream is to get into the top 10,” said Lahiri.