The Open: Anirban Lahiri has a fabulous week at St Andrews

Report by Anand Datla

July 20, 2015: It promised to be a spectacular week in Scotland, for Indian golf. Anirban Lahiri set the home of golf on fire with an astounding performance that took him within a shot of the lead. In the end though, untimely bogeys in both the third and fourth rounds proved expensive to the Indian. He shot an even 72 in the final round to sign off at six under 282. At the time of this report, Anirban was lying T34, with the men in front halfway through their rounds.

Before we slip into any sense of disappointment, let us acknowledge too that it is hugely creditable for a seemingly out of form Lahiri to finish the Open where he has. Going into the tournament, there were not many who expected Anirban to even last through the weekend. After all, he was noursing the wounds from missed cuts at the US Open and in the Irish Open earlier.

But then he showed this week, that Lahiri has the courage to take on the best stages of the golfing world and make them their own. Playing for the first time in his career, the 28 year old from Bengaluru showed no nerves – getting off the blocks last Thursday with a pair of birdies. The young man did not really look back from there, till late in the third round, where the spectre of bogeys began to hurt him.

In the end, Anirban was taking one shot more each passing day, ruining any chance of a sensational finish among the elite. The fourth round was going pretty well too, despite a bogey at the first hole.

He made consecutive birdies at the fourth and fifth and added two more at seven and nine to make the turn in 33 shots. At nine under at that point, Lahiri was still within touch of the leaders, who were around 12-under around the time.

After making three pars immediately after the turn, Lahiri started bleeding. And he did so profusely – gifting away four bogeys in five holes, starting at the 13th hole. With only the 18th left to play, Anirban had slipped to one over for the day.

It was fitting then that he found a birdie at the 18th to ensure a dignified finish. After yet another memorable week on the course, it was the least Anirban deserved and any sense of disappointment stems from the fact that the Indian promised to set the Old Course on fire with some spectacular golf. He nearly did too and Indian fans will remember this performance as one that reaffirmed the faith and hope in this young golfer.

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