With Avyaan and Tiger, it’s been an auspicious start to the week for Lahiri

As far as ‘auspicious start’ to a major championship goes, playing a Wednesday practice round with Tiger Woods at a venue where he secured one of his 15 major wins, would rank as an unbeatable number one for most golfers.

PREMIUM

Not for a sleep-deprived Anirban Lahiri at the PGA Championship at Southern Hills. His happened Monday morning. That’s when Avyaan, (literally meaning ‘an auspicious start’ in Hindi), his second child, was born – nearly a week ahead of schedule, but timing it to perfection so that dad could be present to witness his arrival, and then reach Tulsa, Oklahoma, for his first major since the 2019 US Open.

“The baby was originally scheduled for the Sunday of the PGA Championship. In that case, I would have come to Tulsa, but would have been on call and was fully prepared to pull out midway. Then, at the Wells Fargo week, we were told it could happen at the start of the week. We had a false alarm on Saturday and everything seemed normal on Sunday. I had made up my mind that if he wasn’t born by Tuesday, I would withdraw,” said Lahiri, who is enjoying an upswing in form and results since finishing second at the Players Championship in March.

Things changed Sunday evening and Ipsa went into labour on Monday morning. Once Lahiri, son of an army gynaecologist who helped deliver thousands of babies, was assured that everything was well with wife and the newborn, he undertook the 2,000km travel northwest from his residence in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Lahiri had already sent his caddie Tim Guiliano on a reconnaissance trip but Wednesday was going to be critical as his only practice round.

And then he walked straight into the Tiger Woods show.

In an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times, the 34-year-old from Bengaluru, who is making his 17th start in a major championship, a record in Indian men’s golf, said: “It’s been an eventful 24 hours for me. To get to Tulsa in time and then to play nine holes with Tiger and nine holes with Bryson (DeChambeau), that was great fun.

“The round with Tiger was pure chance. I walked up to the first tee around 9am and he was already there. He just asked if I wanted to join him. I was never going to say no!

“I know it is a bit intimidating to play with him. There were a couple of other guys near the tee who chickened out. I have not played too much with him (they were both part of the Hero exhibition event at Delhi Golf Club during Woods’ only visit to India in February 2014), and I am gonna play with him every time I get an opportunity.

“But it was great fun. The crowd was electric and I felt that somehow helped me focus better. We chatted and laughed and talked about a lot of different things, exchanged some daddy notes and chatted about guys like Arjun (Atwal), Jeev (Milkha Singh) and Hero Motocorp (sponsors of both Woods and Lahiri). I did get a few pointers from him after picking his brains about the golf course.

“And then I played the back nine with Bryson, which was fun too. He was hitting it at probably 60% (following a recent wrist surgery), and still clearing 320 yards.”

DeChambeau later withdrew from the tournament.

Woods is playing only his second tournament following a near-fatal car accident in Los Angeles in February last year. He had earlier made a comeback in April in the Masters, and finished 47th after comfortably making the cut.

“I thought he seems to be more comfortable, and he seems to be swinging well within himself,” said Lahiri when asked what he felt about the state of Woods’ game.

“But you know, with him…Tiger on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday is completely different from Tiger on a Thursday. So, I wouldn’t read too much into how he how he looked on the golf course. He knows how to turn it on.”

The world No.75 Lahiri has recorded his best major finish in the PGA Championship when he showed his ability on the US soil for the first time by ending tied fifth at Whistling Straits in 2015. However, in five appearances in the tournament, he also has three missed cuts. Lahiri is eager to change that stat as he aims to ride high on confidence and recent hot form.

“The golf course is beautiful. It is challenging, but a fair test, like you expect at a PGA Championship. It’s nice to be playing in some warm weather. Lots of Bermuda grass and that makes me feel very comfortable. It reminded me a bit of Thailand, even though the greens are Bentgrass. So yeah, I think it is set up really well and I am looking forward to just going with the flow.

“It’s been a sleepless three-four days, but I am feeling good about my game and feeling happy with where I am in life and in general. So yeah, just looking to build on that.”

Lahiri is paired with Korea’s KH Lee, a winner last week in Texas, and a PGA professional Tim Feenstra for the first two rounds.

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