Chance for home stars to excel on big stage

Since Anirban Lahiri’s breakout win in 2013, several young stars have emerged on the domestic tour. And it will be yet another opportunity for home-grown golfers to leave a mark on the Asian Tour, when the Panasonic Open India tees off at the venerable Delhi Golf course here on Thursday.

The players will look to extend the trend at the familiar but unforgiving course. Ove the years, home golfers have a stellar record at the DGC and even more at the Asian Tour and PGTI-sanctioned event — three Indian winners emerging in last four editions.

Besides a strong local field, the enhanced prize money of $400,000 has attracted some of the leading players on the Tour including two-time Order of Merit winner Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand and Mardan Mamat of Singapore.

However, former winner Lahiri and defending champion S.S.P. Chawrasia are among the absentees as they are competing at the WGC-HSBC Champions at Shanghai this week.

Rahil Gangjee, who lost in a play-off to Chawrasia last year, and Chiragh Kumar will spearhead the local challenge which will also be strengthened by the presence of Gaganjeet Bhullar, Rashid Khan, Jyoti Randhawa and former winner Digvijay Singh.

“I am getting back to my old game and I am now more confident and am trusting my swing,” said Bhullar, who fought a series of injuries in the past.

Chiragh, who secured his Asian Tour card by finishing second at the Macau Open last month, felt the greens are much more softer than it played during the Indian Open.

“I know this course well and if I can stick to my routine and process then I should be okay.” With a terrific track record at the DGC, Siddikur Rahman will start among the favourites. The popular Bangladeshi has won once at the DGC and finished runner-up on three occasions in the last five years. “I wish I won more at Delhi because this golf course suits my game. I have good confidence here and that’s the key to playing well here,” he said.

With his accurate game, Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera will look for his maiden Asian Tour win this week. “The game is there but I need a bit of luck,” said Perera, who was locked in a three-way play-off last year.

Among the younger lots ready to jump to the next level are S. Chikkrangappa, who last week defended his Asian Development Tour title at the Takes Solutions Masters, Khalin Joshi, runner-up at Bangladesh Open on Asian Tour, apart from 19-year-old Shubhankar Sharma, Himmat Rai and others.