Anirban lahiri’s countenance wasn’t revealing much. He was looking calm and composed while minutely observing every slope on the greens of the 18th hole. But there was a horde of emotions inside him that were taking the shape of a storm. For, just before him, Rashid Khan had hit a brilliant birdie on the last hole to take one stroke lead at the top of the leaderboard.
After playing catch-up with Khan throughout the fourth and final day of the SAIl-SBI Open, it was that one stroke which was going to decide the fate. His as well as his opponent’s.
But his father’s advice to stay positive and Vipassana teachings helped him control his nerves in that moment of extreme pressure. He hit that 10-footer to card a birdie and force a play-off against Khan, who made it easy for the defending champion by hitting his approach shot 15 feet away from the hole. Superior in experience, lahiri cashed on the minor mistake of his junior opponent and chipped the ball just four feet from the hole and closed the game by converting it.
The 22-year-old Khan gave himself a great chance of a maiden title with a superb final round of six-under 66 but could not prevent a dominant lahiri, who signed off with a four-under 68, from defending his title and grabbing the winner’s cheque of $54,000. “It’s not sunk in yet. This was the only time that I went into the 18th hole behind as Rashid finished ahead of me and made the birdie. The last couple of times I played that hole, I was either ahead or tied for the lead,” lahiri said.
“I’m still in disbelief that I made the putt in regulation and got into the playoff. After that, in the next 15 minutes, I didn’t know what happened,” he added.
Khan, however, held his head up high. “I played really good. Holed good putts and played really well this week. Starting with a par 72 on the first day and losing in a play-off, it’s disappointing,” said Khan, who picked up $33,000 for finishing second.
“In the play-off, I just misread my third shot and hit it too far right (to 15 feet of the flag). I wasn’t too sure of the line and hit it a bit right. I was expecting Anirban to make birdie in regulation. He’s won here twice before and I knew it was going to be a play-off. I was prepared for it but it didn’t work out.”
Overnight leader Mohd Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh closed with a disappointing 73 to finish third, four shots behind the play-off duo while Shiv Kapur settled for fourth place after a 70.