Anirban Lahiri- The Indian Golfer

India’s Anirban Lahiri seems to be going through a rough patch in his golf career in recent times. A bout against the dreaded COVID virus has not helped his cause and it seems to have affected his game to some extent. Lahiri missed the cut by a shot at the AT&T Byron Nelson Championship earlier this month.
Lahiri was confident that he had recovered from his battle with the virus but perhaps he was still a little shaky. It showed in his game as he had a bit of a roller coaster ride and went through several ups and downs. He fell short by one shot at the end.
In his last 14 starts, Lahiri has missed cuts on seven occasions. But he did have two top ten finishes and a best placing of fifth in the Valero Texas Open. However his fans back home in India hope that he will soon recover top form.
The 33 year old Lahiri has come a long way since he began learning the game at the Indian army’s golf course in Bolarum. The course lies on the outskirts of Secunderabad city and one has to drive past army barracks and majestic colonial buildings to reach the beautifully maintained golf course with its elegant clubhouse which exudes old world charm. 
Anirban’s father was an army doctor who was posted in Secunderabad and was an avid amateur golfer. The young Anirban used to follow his father around and began  picking up the rudiments of the agme from his dad.
Initially the young lad would just accompany his father around the course and pick up the balls. At the end of the day, he used to try out a few shots and chips just for fun. But what was a fun thing turned into a passion later.
Encouraged by both his parents, the youth went from strength to strength and he turned pro at the age of 20. The next year he joined the Asian Tour and three years later he picked up his first victory at the Panasonic Open. His second win came in 2012 at the SAIL-SBI Open.
His best finish on the Order of Merit came in 2014 with his maiden overseas win on the Asian Tour, the CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters. Not content to rest on his laurels, he follwed up with another victory in the Venetian Macau Open. 
2014 was a watershed in his career for he broke into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time. The year saw a series of very consistent performances from him which included two victories on the Asian Tour.
In his personal life too, 2014 was a significant year for that was when he got married to his longtime girlfriend Ipsa Jamwal. When he is not out on the greens perfecting his game, he loves listening to music or indulges in computer gaming. Occasionally he also tries his hand at cooking and reads whatever he can lay his hands on.

Abhijit Sengupta- Sports Journalist (Ex The HINDU newspaper In India)