Lahiri, Kapur look to make impact at the British Open

Southport (England), July 19

Anirban Lahiri and Shiv Kapur will be looking to make an impact when they tee off at the British Open, which starts here tomorrow.

It is only the third time that there will be two Indians at the same edition of the British Open. While Lahiri drove in from Irvine, where he played at the Scottish Open, Kapur has flown in from Delhi after qualifying earlier this month at the 36-hole single qualifier in Woburn. Kapur, who arrived here early and got some invaluable practice, has had a fine season, with a long overdue win in Taiwan and a second place finish in Thailand.

Lahiri is playing his fifth British Open — most by any Indian. He feels he is well prepared for the championships. “I was keeping an eye on where my world ranking was and was doing my own research to see how far it has gone down the list,” Lahiri said. “I was quietly confident, so mentally I was prepared to play this week about a month ago. That’s why I played in Scotland last week with the intention to play this week.”

“I think it is one of the best British Open tracks which I’ve played so far. As the conditions get tougher, it will be a real challenge. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m glad I played in Scotland last week and got some links golf under the belt,” Lahiri said.

“I’m making a lot of birdies and I’m putting good numbers over 18 holes. I seem to have that odd round that I let it go. I got to be really focussed right through the week especially on a course like this. If you lose your focus or confidence, you can let it get away from you. I feel like I’m up for it.” — PTI