How Anirban willed himself into a Major contender

Two days before the start of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Anirban Lahiri hit the ball 327 yards off the tee and hit the headlines. He won the Long Drive competition, joining among others the great Jack Nicklaus in the illustrious list of winners. The field for this competition included world No.1 Jordan Spieth, who finished 15 yards behind, and Jason Day, who would go on to win the PGA Championship. Day didn’t even qualify.

Long Drive is an exhibition event, all right, but it requires a core golf skill: hitting the ball as far as you can while keeping it on the fairway. It asks for the right amount of power and accuracy. It needs a fine balance. That Lahiri won it was no surprise. Nor was his historic tied-fifth finish in the main event on Sunday evening on the shores of Lake Michigan. For there are few Indian golfers who strike a balance — between talent and temperament — as finely as the 28-year-old.
In a span of six years after his breakthrough win on the Professional Golfers Tour of India in 2009, Lahiri has grown into one of the best players in the world. To be sure, Lahiri wasn’t the most gifted players on the Indian circuit when he started out. Gaganjeet Bhullar, at that time, was being heralded as the next best thing in Indian golf. But the hard-working Lahiri made the most of his abilities. While the likes of Bhullar have faded away, Lahiri has willed himself into a Major contender.

Those who have seen him from close quarters describe him as someone with an unflappable interior and insatiable hunger, two virtues that will see you in good stead in the lonely pursuit that is golf.

“He was not the best junior player,” says Navjosh Singh, Lahiri’s childhood friend and someone who has played with him on the junior and amateur circuits. “He used to miss a lot of cuts. But he never did lose motivation. Self-belief has to be his biggest strength.”

Lahiri is also an intelligent golfer. Over the years, he has meticulously analysed his shortcomings and has worked on them relentlessly. He wasn’t a natural swinger to begin with, but now possesses a very effective and accurate swing. His putting too was an area of concern, as recently as two years ago, but has improved leaps and bounds since.

“Earlier, he used to miss a lot of putts. But he spent hours and hours fine-tuning it. He was always a long hitter, so that thing was sorted, but this was certainly his weakest point. Now, he cashes in on those scoring chances,” says Navjosh.

Par-5 16 on Sunday was a case in point. Needing 22 feet for an eagle, Lahiri seemed to have made an intelligent calculation. Rather than attacking the hole, he took a safer approach and laid-up short, before calmly tapping in for a birdie.

Another thing that sets Lahiri apart from his fellow Indian golfers is his fitness. Yes, fitness. He isn’t built like the stereotypical post-Tiger Woods golfer — tall with big arms, massive shoulders and a six pack. In fact, Lahiri is 5’8” and has a small but visible paunch.

“You can look extremely fit with bulging muscles, but you may not be the fittest in your core, which is essential. He does a lot of meditation, does a lot of yoga exercises and core strengthening exercises. He can put hours and hours on the practice range, which many people who look fitter than him may not be able to do. But that’s a choice you have to make, whether you want to “look good” or you want to be match fit,” says Navjosh.

His fitness will be tested when he decides to leave the comfort of the Asian Tour and joins the punishing PGA Tour full-time, which should be his target. It’s good to finish so high up in a Major, but the natural course for him will be to play in the United States on a full card and aim to win a tour event in a country which hosts three out of four Majors.

“He will become better once he plays more events on this level, week in and week out. The courses in the US are very different from the ones in Europe and Asia. In terms of grass and the weather conditions. As he gets more exposure, he will get better. As he has in the last six months or so. A full time PGA Tour card should be the priority for him. That’s the best level of golf,” says Navjosh.

Can he win a Major?
“I am confident that he can do it. He definitely has the potential. But in his mind, I am sure, he is taking one step at a time. His first objective should be to win on the tour and take it forward from there.”