Anirban Lahiri.
Credit: Reuters Photo
“My Aadhar card has my Bengaluru address. So we can put that debate to rest,” insists Anirban Lahiri about the never-ending debate of where the Pune-born Bengali, who lived in Hyderabad and then moved to Bengaluru, belongs to.
With that settled, the 36-year-old golfer, in a freewheeling chat with DH, opens about everything from his days at Eagleton, the switch to LIV Golf from PGA Tour and the excitement of representing the country at the upcoming Asian Games.
For those who know him outside the playing arena, Lahiri is an easy-going, fun-loving and a helpful individual anyone can rely on. But the globetrotter transforms himself into a fierce competitor who leaves no stone unturned on a golf course.
Lahiri, with a tag ‘Currypower’, was the Indian flag bearer on the PGA Tour for over seven years before becoming the first from the country to join the rebel LIV Golf in 2022.
Excerpts..
What are your thoughts about the entire PGA vs LIV saga?
I think the PGA Tour, as the premier Tour, for the first time felt threatened. And the whole saga was more of an organisational vendetta or a business stand-off where one company was trying to protect its business interest more than anything else. That’s where this whole thing got out of hand so much.
I definitely feel like it could have been avoided very easily but then they were so busy making sure that they were protecting their business interest that golf got compromised to a large extent.
As things stand, we still don’t know where we, the players, are at. We don't know if this agreement (between PGA and LIV) is going to go through or not. So it's become like a mega serial. Let's see what happens next. But overall, LIV with its different format, has been good for pro golf.
The difference between you as a PGA Tour golfer as opposed to a LIV Golf player...
Nothing is different. Whether I’m playing on the PGA Tour or LIV or even on the Asian Tour. I'm still working really hard and trying to be the best version of myself. The fundamentals are still the same.
The quality of golf has no difference too. That’s why when you see us (LIV players) playing the Major tournaments with the PGA players side-by-side, there really is nothing to differentiate. This divide has been created more on social media saying ‘oh they play only three days, oh they play a short-gun format’. Yes, that's the format. For example we aren’t playing football on a cricket ground. We play golf, here or there, as professionals.
After making the switch, you said ‘I can finally have a life now’. What did you mean by that?
Living in the US was challenging. More than playing on the PGA Tour, I found it difficult to have a good work-life balance. Playing on the PGA Tour is very stressful as it is the hardest place to play golf and a huge challenge professionally to be successful on the PGA Tour.
Moving to LIV allowed me to move to Dubai. I only have to be in the US for about 8-10 weeks in a year. It allowed me to shift closer home. Initially we (him and wife Ipsa Jamwal) thought of moving back to India as well, but given how much I need to travel, we just thought that Dubai would be a better place while I'm actively playing.
I can see my coach (Vijay Divecha) more often. Not being able to see him regularly when I was in the US wasn’t good for the health of my golf. Our parents are able to see their grandkids more regularly. All these small things make up for ‘having a life’, which is the stuff that you don't see when you watch me playing on TV. How balanced we are and the quality of life we have outside the arena also has a direct effect on your performance. That’s the reason why I feel I'm getting closer and closer to playing my best golf now, consistently.
How do you handle criticism? Because the golfing environment can be pretty cynical with constant scrutiny over every shot, swing and tournament finishes. Your switch to LIV Golf became a hot topic too...
When I hear people passionately talking about my game, I look at it as a positive thing. It shows people are invested and care about the sport or their representative on the world stage. But on the other hand, most of them are armchair analysts/ experts. Those are the ones I chose to smile at and move on. I find it cute and funny.
I have my core team that has my coach/ guru, wife, trainer, mental trainer, caddy, club fitter and their opinion is what matters to me. My ears are shut to everything else that comes outside of this team. I have to insulate myself from criticism, advice, adulation, hate and so much more. If tomorrow Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal or someone who has been there, done that and played at that level says something to me, I will definitely pause and listen to them. If we start getting reactive to everything that is directed at us then it’s just impossible to stay focussed on what we need to do.
How has the experience of being a part of team Crushers been so far along with your team-mates Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Casey and Charles Howell III?
It’s been amazing and I’m enjoying all of it! Even though golf is an individual sport, we are always looking out for each other, right? Now imagine actually playing in a team and being in an environment where everybody cares about how the others play. It’s a great wholesome space in a competitive structure to be a part of.
We are all genuinely interested in each other's wellness, golf and lives and we want good things for each other. Though I still want to beat my team-mates for the individual championship, I also want them to do well.
Recently, you spoke about all of you as a team want to contribute to the growth of Indian golf. Can you tell us more about that?
One of the things that Bryson as a captain has done is include all of us in a lot of conversations. And one of them he had with us was, what can the Crushers do for you (Anirban, Charles, Paul)? What are your charitable inclinations, goals, ambitions etc etc that he can contribute to. My long-term goal is to grow junior golf in India, to give back to the game in India in anyway possible and there have been things on that end that I have been working on. Bryson has assured me that the Crushers and he would love to help and be a part of that initiative whenever that becomes a reality.
Also, I would love to bring a LIV Golf event to India. Just imagine having so many Major winners competing in a country like ours. I'm working hard to make that happen and if we can use that as a platform to build certain programmes or foundations.
Your take on Indian golf and where it stands now.
The growth has been great. Especially women’s golf. Aditi (Ashok) has had a breakthrough year this season breaking into the top-50 in the world. The next crop of girls that are coming through like Diksha Dagar, Pranavi Urs, Avani Prashanth and so many others is a good sign. The big fillip in growing the game, that I see over the last few years, is coming from the girls which is fantastic. Among the men, we have always had a lot of talent and Asian Tour winners in the past. I just like to see some of them step up and start consistently contending in the other international events.
Can you talk a little bit about the upcoming Asian Games?
It is a huge honour and a privilege every time I get to play for my country. Winning the silver in 2006 seems like many lifetimes ago. But that feeling is still fresh. We have a good team this year as well. Shubhankar (Sharma) is playing well, I’ve been doing decent, SSP (Chawrasia) is coming back to form, Khalin (Joshi) is someone who can really give the team that boost by shooting a couple of really low rounds. It has always been a dream of mine to hear the national anthem standing on top of the podium. I think both the men’s and women’s teams are focussed on achieving that and hopefully we can bring some medals back with us from China.
Your journey started here in Eagleton. Do you ever look back at those times?
Those were some of the best years of my life. I'm never going to get that back. The friendships and relationships I made, the experiences I’ve had are for a lifetime. Being by myself, learning to cook, clean and take responsibility helped me become the person/ golfer I’m today.
I'm fortunate to call it home. And the days we were all there was the golden age of Eagleton, considering what it has gone through in the last few years.
I'm still very good friends with some of the caddies and staff even though I haven't been there in years. We exchange messages. Where I’m today shouldn't make a difference because they were a part of my life and will continue to be so.