As Paris hopes fade, Lahiri eyes Indian Open success
It’s been nine years since Anirban Lahiri won his only Hero Indian Open crown. That 2015 season ended up being pivotal in Lahiri’s career, providing openings to bigger avenues. Almost a decade on and “with fewer hair,” he is back at a venue he has visited since he was a 12-year-old.
The intervening years have seen him finish second at The Players Championship in 2022, become a two-time Olympian, contemplate quitting the sport, and join the breakaway LIV Golf. His hunger for the national Open, however, has remained undiminished.
“It is a fifth major for the Indians and I’m finding it increasingly harder to get into the majors... so I’m glad that I’m playing this week,” he laughed, talking to the media on Tuesday ahead of the DP World Tour joint-sanctioned event to be played at the DLF Golf and Country Club this week. Beyond that self-deprecating remark, however, lurks the desire to have another go at the Olympics.
The standoff between LIV and Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) means Lahiri doesn’t get any ranking points for competing on the Saudi-funded series, which may put his Paris qualification chances in jeopardy. As of now, at No.401, he is third among Indian players in the official rankings, behind Shubhankar Sharma (188) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (248).
“It is what it is. I can’t dwell too much into what-ifs,” he said. “However, I would still want to be on that flight to Paris.” That would mean a lot of factors must come together. A brilliant run this week will be a good start, but he still needs enough competitions to crawl up the pecking order. While his participation at the Indian Open is a result of some intense backchannel negotiations between LIV, Lahiri and Hero, the future remains uncertain.
“There might be a situation where a lot of really good golfers don’t make it to Paris. And maybe that’s what is needed for the world to wake up and say we need to do something,” he said.
“But I am not going to sit and moan here. I am looking forward to eight or 12 good rounds after the Indian Open. I will find those events on the Asian Tour, but it depends on a lot of variables.
“What’s in my control is putting together four good rounds this week. Olympics remains an unfinished business. Like every athlete, I have a whole list of excuses for not playing well at the two Games, but then let bygones be bygones. I don’t regret my decision to join LIV.”
The Olympic field is restricted to 60 players each for men and women. The International Golf Federation (IGF) has used the OWGR to create the Olympic rankings for determining eligibility. The top 15 players will qualify, with a limit of four players from a country. Beyond the top 15, players will be eligible based on world rankings with a maximum of two eligible players from a country that does not already have two or more players among the top 15.
Lahiri believes his game is coming together nicely. He competed in two events each in February and this month (in Jeddah and Hong Kong) before skipping the Macau Asian Tour event.
“My results so far on LIV have been sporadic. But by and large I feel like I’ve played well. I haven’t scored my best. I took an extra week off coming into this week just so that I could prepare for this. I just want to compete and go out there and be in contention on Sunday. I would love nothing more than to win the national Open again. I feel I am ready for it.”
There’s also the load of second-place finishes to shed. His India Open win was followed by a runner-up result in the event in 2016. Next year, he was second at the Memorial Tournament, and then he finished second to Australia’s Cameron Smith by one shot in The Players Championship in 2022. Lahiri then moved to LIV, where a win has eluded him, going close at Boston in 2022 and Adelaide, Bedminister and Chicago in 2023.
“I don’t know how many dozens of second-place results I’ve had. I need to get that off my back. I want to win, I am desperate to win and it takes me back to when I was starting my career. Though I’ve played 15-16 years, I’m still as desperate to win this week as I was 10-15 years ago.”