Asian golf’s growth shows in rankings as new year promises thrilling contests

Looking at India, I have a lot of expectations from Anirban Lahiri, who has proven himself time and again that he is ready to mingle with the best.

Thanks to the brilliant 2015 that we had, there is a lot of excitement about 2016 in the golfing circles. And with the top two players in the world — Jordan Spieth and Jason Day — starting their new year in the first week itself, it looks like the action will be relentless from day one.

So, Spieth and Day face off at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour this week, and two weeks later, Spieth will take on the might of world No. 3 Rory McIlroy at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. World No. 6 Rickie Fowler will also be part of both tournaments, and these four young guys are the reason why golf is in such great health right now.

Obviously, all eyes will be on them but I must add I am equally excited about the prospect of Asian golf in the new season. I have a feeling that golfers from my continent are ready to make a lot of noise in the future, possibly starting this year. The indicators are all there. There was a time not many years ago when we were lucky to have a KJ Choi and another Japanese player ranked in the top-100 of the world. As 2016 starts, we have six players in the top-100 and 16 in the top-200. That just gives you a good idea of the rise of Asian golf in the last few years.

On the European Tour, we had an unprecedented four players in the top-20 of the Race to Dubai — Byeong-hun An at No. 7, Thongchai Jaidee at 10, Kiradech Aphibarnrat at 13 and Anirban Lahiri at No. 20.

Comfortable situation

One question that I am asked again and again is whether an Asian player will win a major championship in the near future. Obviously, YE Yang has made the start, but that was way back in 2009. At that time, only YE, KJ, myself and a couple of Japanese players made it to the majors on a regular basis. This year, there will be at least 10 Asian players in each of the majors. The increased number definitely increases the possibility of one of them having a fantastic week and upsetting the best names in the game. There is no doubt that they all have the talent, it is really a question of getting comfortable in the situation and that comes only with experience.

Looking at India, I have a lot of expectations from Anirban Lahiri, who has proven himself time and again that he is ready to mingle with the best. He is going to be on the PGA Tour this year, and with the experience of 2015 and the immense self-belief that he seems to have, I won’t be surprised if he is in contention several times this year.

Then there are players like Gaganjeet Bhullar, Himmat Rai, Chiragh Kumar and that old warhorse Jyoti Randhawa, who have shown glimpse of returning to prime form after a disappointing last couple of years. I am also very proud of SSP Chowrasia, who continues to make his mark and am looking forward to captaining him in his first international team event at the EurAsia Cup later this month.

Winning the EurAsia Cup against the Darren Clarke-led European side would be a good start. Hopefully, we will be able to deliver the goods and give my good friend something to think about.

Jeev Milkha Singh is a four-time champion on the European Tour