The success story of Anirban Lahiri has been a few years in the making, but it completely changed pace and shifted into overdrive at the WGC-HSBC Champions exactly one year ago.
It was the first World Golf Championship event of Lahiri’s career. He had competed in two Open Championships before that, but the 2014 HSBC Champions was the first elite event where he got an entry without having to qualify.
The 27-year-old did quite well, finishing tied 28th, and hasn’t look back after that.
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After that, he secured his European Tour card through the Qualifying School last year, won two Tour titles in 2015, broke into the top-50 of the world rankings and played in all four majors and WGCs, qualified for the Presidents Cup team, finished top-five in the PGA Championship, secured his PGA Tour card and is also assured of winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit this year.
As he enters this week’s event, Lahiri admitted his world has changed, but the importance of the tournament still remains critical for him.
“Obviously, my focus has changed over the last few years. Last year when I was here, it was very important for me to play well in this event because it was one of my first WGC,” said the world No39.
“I come back 12 months later having played every other WGC; having won in Europe; having got my card in America, and suddenly this event becomes critical for me in how I reshuffle in America and my world rankings going into the end of the year, looking at the Masters.
“So the event is still really important, but the perspective is radically different. I guess the golf isn’t radically different. It’s the same thing; you have to go out there and do the same things. But a lot has changed in the last 12 months.”
Lahiri hasn’t made the decision yet on his future with the European Tour, where he is currently ranked 15th in the Race to Dubai, but he is certain his focus in 2016 would be playing on the PGA Tour.
“I’m actually on the brink, on the verge of making some really tough decisions. I think over the next week or ten days, I’ll know exactly how much I’m playing and where. But it’s going to be more likely that I’m going to focus in America,” said Lahiri, who is involved in the battle for Rookie of the Year with Matthew Fitzpatrick on the European Tour.
“Obviously, my target has always been to play on the PGA Tour, and I’m not going to not play there, now that I have the opportunity. So that’s going to be my main focus. How extensively I play in Europe is something that I’m still considering.
“I'm exempt until 2017. I'm still trying to figure out whether being a member is in my best interests in case I’m not able to play my minimum number of events. There’s a lot of chopping and changing going on in the minimum number of events and how the criteria works with the European Tour, especially with the Olympics next year. The schedules are getting squeezed more and more, so there are a lot more events that are overlapping.
“I will come back to Asia and play a few events toward the end of the year, but as I said, I have to take some hard decisions regarding my schedule.”
Lahiri tees off at 5:05am in his first round alongside American Kevin Kisner and his Presidents Cup team-mate Danny Lee of New Zealand.
