It has been reported that Anirban Lahiri is one of the most well-known Indian golfers on the Asian PGA Tour. Unfortunately, there was heartbreak for him at the Selangor Masters last week in Malaysia where he lost the title by one stroke.
Besides winner’s cheque of $69,000 (R41,67,810), the victory would have awarded Anirban his fourth title on the Asian Tour. As he is a pro who lives with such ups and downs on the golf course, the golfer is proceeding in his life. He targets on the next tournament and not on the previous one.
The 26-year-old expressed that it is certainly disappointing to come so close and lose. But the result also makes him look back at what could have been. He could hold himself together in such a great tournament and come so near to victory gives him a lot of confidence. Obviously, finishing second hurts, but playing good under pressure has been a very positive experience.
Lahiri from Bangalore, who made a memorable debut at the British Open last year finishing tied 31st, is not too much worried by the fact that all three of his Asian Tour titles have come at home. To be precise, for him, winning is more crucial than where he is playing.
Lahiri clarified that winning is winning and doesn’t matter where. He is a firm believer that to become a good golfer, one has to proceed through a process. For him, currently he is going through that process, playing in India and abroad. Notably, doing well in these tournaments is giving him a lot of confidence and making him a better player. If he is good enough, he will win irrespective of where he is playing.
Runners-up’s cheque of $42,138 (R25,19,700) aside at Selangor, Lahiri has brought back the experience of doing well in adverse conditions. He explained that playing abroad means tackling the opposition as well as tackling the different courses. He is learning how to handle the pressure. Truly, it is a learning ride for him and he is enjoying it. It makes him feel that he is good enough to compete with these guys.
To be specific, Selangor is history now. Lahiri has a pair of domestic tournaments in the subsequent two weeks, in Pune and Bangalore after which he will take a break and jump into the Asian Tour once again. Frankly, the new putter which he began using after four years, will give him company.
