T14 start for Anirban Lahiri at PGA Championship

Report by Anand Datla
Status at the time of posting this report – round still in progress

Sheboygan, Wisconsin
August 13, 2015: On a day of quickly changing weather at the Whistling Straits, Anirban Lahiri got off to a good start in the first round of the PGA Championship. Lahiri was four under through ten holes, seemingly set to close out the first day among the elite, but a couple of bad misses on the back nine compromised his chances. Eventually, he signed off on a 70, knowing that it could have been much better had he held it together on the closing stretch.

Dustin Johnson played remarkably solid all day to shoot a six under 66 and take command of the 97th PGA Championship. The American has a two shot lead over a bunch of golfers who are busy packing themselves closely behind Johnson. Among them are Matt Kuchar and Jason Day in a six way tie for second at 68.

Justin Rose shot 69, while Hideki Matsuyama and Martin Kaymer were among those that made 70. Ernie Els and Fransesco Molinari were in a big group of men making 71.

Sergio Garcia lead another large contingent of golfers who managed to stay even with the undulating meadows at the Whistling Straits. Bubba Watson, Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood were some of the men that made an even par 72.

The Indian got off to a terrific start, a birdie at the first hole setting things in motion and soon he was three under at the turn. He improved to four under with another birdie at the tenth hole. Things began to look very rosy for the young golfer.

But that is when the course started to bite back. The wind had picked up and as it swirled in one direction and then the other, Anirban seemed to lose some of the composure that marked his early assault on the course.

The end typified the day for Anirban. After driving to the left of the fairway, Anirban settled it into the greenside bunker with his second shot. He hit it thin from there and landed on a spot that decided to turn the ball back off the green. A double bogey to end the round robbed two shots off an Anirban card that should have read a lot lower.

With the weather expected to be rough tomorrow, the Indian will have an interesting challenge at hand to push ahead on the leaderboard in the second round.

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