CHENNAI: On Thursday, when MS Dhoni’s team gets ready for the second Test at Lord’s, another Indian will embark on a different test. About 200 miles to the north-west of London, Anirban Lahiri will start his British Open campaign at the Royal Liverpool Golf Course in Merseyside.
The British Open is the oldest of the four Majors in golf and the only one outside USA. It’s held on links courses in Scotland and England and Lahiri played the 2012 edition at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, where he finished a creditable tied 31st.
Going by that, his form this year and Shiv Kapur’s tied 23rd finish at the US Open last month, expectations should be high, but the leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit isn’t in the best shape at the moment. News of making the cut reached him when he was on a honeymoon trip to Madagascar with wife Ipsa. A quick return to Bangalore followed and about two weeks is all Lahiri has got to brush up his game for a competition that will pose a different challenge in terms of weather and playing conditions.
“I’m a bit rusty as I have played just two tournaments in the last two months. Last time I had gone to the course two-and-a-half months in advance with my coach (Vijay Divecha). I came back to India and prepared specifically to those strategies. This time, it’s been sudden and I haven’t got as much preparation time,” Lahiri said before leaving.
This will be his second Major and first appearance at the 145-year-old club. He is expecting a testing time. “We play in tropical conditions, but now it will be cold and damp. On links courses in England or Scotland, you need a lower ball flight, because the wind is very strong. When the ball goes high, it gets swayed and you lose control. The only way to go is to keep it low. Lowering ball flight and reducing spin is what I have worked on. Also, the greens will be very fast. It’s totally different from what we get in Asia.”
Otherwise, the 27-year-old has reason to be confident. Having started the year at 111 on the world rankings, he shot up to 65 in May following a string of good performances in Asia, with five top-10 finishes including a title in Indonesia. He has slipped to 86 now, but continues to top the Order of Merit with earnings of $245,910 this year.
“When you play well and win, it always helps. The tournament I won had four players from the top 20. It’s a big confidence booster, when you beat world-class players. It has done me a lot of good. I was looking to win abroad for the last five-six years. The monkey is off my back. No doubt it has bolstered my confidence.”
Lahiri will be in elite company, as the 165-player field features 19 from the top 20 including World No 7 and 14-time Major champion Tiger Woods and defending champion Phil Mickelson. “Just to be playing in a Major gives you a sense of pride, because only the world’s best get into these events. To win a Major, to be recognised in a Major is the greatest achievement. It’s a great opportunity for me to shine on a global stage,” he said.