Anirban Lahiri torn between LIV Golf and Paris 2024 ambitions

Lahiri is eyeing a good performance at the Indian Open this week to improve world ranking points and stay closer to Paris Olympics qualification.

Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri, who plies his trade on the LIV Golf Tour, is competing in the tournament he calls the ‘fifth major’ after a gap of five years all for the reason that he needs to pick up crucial world ranking points to stake his claim for an appearance in the Paris Olympic Games this July.

The cut-off date for the men’s competition of Paris Olympics 2024 is June 17 and Lahiri wants to make sure that he makes a hat-trick of Games appearances with a strong showing at the Hero Indian Open this week at the challenging DLF Golf & Country Club here.

A total of 60 golfers each in the men’s and women’s categories get a chance to represent the country at the Olympics considering their world rankings, with the host country getting two guaranteed spots – one each among men and women.

The two Indians right now all set for Olympic appearance are – Shubhankar Sharma (48) and Gaganjeet Bhullar (52) – as they are inside the top-60 Games rankings created by International Golf Federation (IGF). While Shubhankar is currently ranked 188th, Gaganjeet is ranked 248th in the world.

“Unless I play well this week and potentially one or two more events, there’s not much for me to look forward to, unfortunately. I am trying my best, obviously. That’s a big motivating factor for me this week, to play well outside, like I said. I would love to go to Paris (Olympics).

“Play well or I don’t play well, it doesn’t reflect in the current Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR), unfortunately. But you know, that’s how it is. So, I have to do the best within whatever opportunities I have and that’s on me. I can’t really cry about it… Right now, I can control the next four rounds. I can give it my absolute best and if I play well enough then I may have a chance but that’s about all I can do,” Lahiri, who is ranked 401st, told Khel Now.

Lahiri represented the country in the Rio 2016 Games along with SSP Chawrasia when the sport made its return after a gap of 104 years and finished individual 57th. He competed in Tokyo 2020 with Udayan Mane as his partner and posted sole T-42nd result.

“I have had two go at it (Olympics) and I have a whole list of excuses for why I didn’t play well, like every professional athlete. But again. It’s like a major championship, right? You want to have as many starts at majors as possible to contend and to win. So, it’s the same thing.

“The Olympics are fewer and much further in between. I don’t know where my goal for the world of golf will be four years from now. So I need to focus on, as I said, potentially eight rounds or 12 rounds that I have between now and Paris that will get me there,” the 36-year-old explained.

The Dubai-based pro, who trains at the Claude Harmon Academy inside Els Club, feels that there is more acceptance for LIV Golf now as opposed to the time when he had joined the rebel series in 2022.

“It was a very bipartisan view. People were either on this side or that side. When I went to the US or If I was to generalise western golfing fraternity. There was a lot more pushback, there was a lot more critique and there was a lot more, I would say propaganda, agenda, business, you know, whatever… But it’s been a while now where people are beginning to see that, it’s alive, it’s happening, it’s still growing. The level of golf, the quality of golf is quite outstanding,” he said.

With a bunch of former World No. 1s and multiple Major winners like Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka among others Lahiri does have a point.“I wish I had a crystal ball to say that, oh, we’re going to merge or we’re not going to merge. It’s a complicated world right now. Does it need to be fixed? Yes. I wish I had the answers. I don’t. And in the middle of all of that, you still have to beat some of the best players in the world. You know, it’s not a joke. You look at the field, the average strength. There are 50 guys who won probably 300-400 tournaments in their careers. I’m trying to beat Brooks, Bryson, Cam Smith and Jon Rahm. And that’s a pretty good field regardless of where you play,” he elaborated.

Lahiri has option of playing Asian Tour’s Saudi Open (April 17-20) and GS Caltex Maekyung Open (May 2-5) besides couple of DP World Tour events – Korea Championship (April 18-21), ISPS Handa Championship (April 25-28) and Volvo China Open (May 2-5) depending on invitations he receives before the June 17 cut-off date. However, one good week here or any of these events can turn tables in his favour and put him on the flight to Paris.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram