India’s Anirban Lahiri may be playing at the Old Course at St Andrews for the first time in his career, but he is not allowing the stage, the atmosphere and the history of the place to intimidate him.
Having played two Open Championships before this one -- he even had a hole-in-one on his debut in 2012 at Muirfield -- besides once each at the Augusta National, US Open and the PGA, Lahiri has a certain assuredness about him while getting ready for the big stage.
Obviously you see it, the Swilcan Bridge and you walk over it on the 18th, the bunkers, there’s so much tradition and historic events and incidents that have taken place here. You kind of have that feeling that goosebumps and you know that you’re in a special place. You feel that around this track.
– Anirban Lahiri
Leading the Asian Tour Order of Merit by a handy margin and still in the Top-15 of the European Order of Merit, Lahiri, who has two wins this season at the Malaysian Open and Hero Indian Open, wears a settled and calm look.
I’m looking forward to the challenge. You really get a sense of the history at the course. I’ve been in a few majors now, this is probably my seventh or eighth major and I still haven’t had a top ten or contended in any of them so I think that would be something I’d like to do this week.
– Anirban Lahiri
He has his entire support team with him here -- his immediately family including parents and wife, Ipsa, his coach Vijay Divecha and his regular caddie Rajiv, who has flown in from Delhi for this week and the rest of the season.
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