India’s golf stars are back in action across the globe

By Rahul Banerji

Hours after one season ended on the PGA Tour, the next is set to begin. On stage is Anirban Lahiri and elsewhere, India’s other golf stars return to action as well.

On the European Tour, Shubhankar Sharma is out to put away memories of an indifferent British Swing when he opens at the Portugal Masters 2020.

Diksha Dagar and Tvesa Malik are in the thick of it too at the Swiss Bank Ladies Open, which tees off also on Thursday.

Sharma had just one cut from seven starts in the UK and will be keen to turn things around at the Dom Pedro Victoria Golf Course in Vilamoura.

He opens at the 7191-yard, par-71 course alongside Darius Van Driel of France and Germany’s Sebastian Hiesele and consistency is bound to be his first priority.

Redemption

In California, Lahiri too is in search for redemption at the Safeway Open.

The 2019-20 season ended with Dustin Johnso’s FedEx Cup victory at Atlanta, and just three days later, the PGA Tour wagon is all set to roll out again.

Lahiri is part of a strong Asian contingent at the Silverado Resort and Spa North in Napa where the 2020-21 season-opening event presents a chance for atonement, the PGA Tour noted.

Lahiri spent most of golf’s shutdown at home where he rebuilt his game from scratch with coach Vijay Divecha.

The Bangalore-based golfer had 13 starts last season, making five cuts. His last top 10 on the PGA Tour was at the Mayakoba Golf Classic where he finished tied for 10^th place.

Hunt for form

Lahiri says he is eager to regain the kind of golf that saw him play in the Presidents Cup in 2015 and 2017.

“I’m excited to start the new season here at the Safeway,” he told the PGA Tour.

“Over the last few months, I’ve put in the hard work with my coach and I feel like I’m making really good progress and I’m eager to put my game to the test now.

“The important thing will be for me to play freely and to enjoy myself when I’m out competing again.

“It’s been a strange year with the pandemic but I think the Tour has done a great job to get us out playing again in a safe manner.

“We’ve got a great schedule ahead for 2020-21 which I’m looking forward to playing my best golf again.”

Solid progress

At the Golfpark Holzhäusern, Tvesa will want to maintain the sort of progress she had made in her first LET season that included a tied fourth place finish on the subsidiary Access Series last week.

Since arriving in Europe, Tvesa has finished T65 at the Scottish Open, just missed the cut at the AIG Women’s Open, T20 at the Czech Ladies Open and T4 at last week’s Flumserberg Open.

For her part, Diksha missed the cut at both the Scottish Open and Women’s Open, but the south-paw is a determined competitor.

“Tough times with results, making me and my resolve even stronger,” she tweeted recently.

“Devils within and outside my Head be aware I’ll keep coming back again and again and again stronger and stronger and stronger and stronger.”

While Shubhankar has a 7pm India time tee off in Portugal, Tvesa and Diksha tee off at 1.05 pm and 2 pm respectively in Switzerland.

And in closing, an interesting twist from the PGA Tour.

While Dustin Johnson was the winner of the FedEx Cup and Tour Championship with his weighted start, the event leader-board showed joint runner-up Xander Schauffele as finishing on top purely on strokes played.

Also read: Tvesa bounces back at Beroun from Women’s Open low