Anirban Lahiri will make his second appearance at the Presidents Cup after being picked by International captain Nick Price for the for the event that will take place between September 26 and October 1 at the Liberty National in New Jersey, PTI reported.
Besides Lahiri, Price also opted for Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, one of the four Presidents Cup rookies, for the team competitions. “Since the last Presidents Cup in South Korea, I’ve been here full-time the last two years and I’ve learnt a lot and kind of adapt and made America my new home,” Lahiri said.
“So yeah, a lot of experience also gained since the last Presidents Cup, and I’m really ready to go back.” In his maiden appearance in 2015, Lahiri had missed a three-foot putt on the 18th hole on the final day and the Indian said he wants to redeem himself this year.
“It’s been two years waiting. Obviously I’ve been wanting to get back on team ever since that day in Korea. It’s something that I feel that I need to do,” he said. “I felt like I let the team down, and I feel like I need to go back out there and contribute to the winning cause.
He added: “I’ve definitely learned a lot, after having moved here, played here, and I feel like I’m ready to go back out there and make a positive difference to the team.”
Price said Lahiri’s earlier experience of playing in the Presidents Cup was instrumental in his selection, even though he finished six places off of the automatic qualifying spots.
“With Anirban at No 16 in the standings, picking him may surprise some people, but my captain’s assistants and I felt like the team needed an additional player who has experienced Presidents Cup pressure before,” Price said.
The United States have dominated the Presidents Cup over the years, losing the title only once – in 1998 – since it was first staged in 1994. Lahiri said his past experience will help him in his campaign this year.
“I think in the tournaments past, the Americans have come out very strong on Thursday and Friday. I think we’ve generally fought back quite well but the thing is, you don’t want to get behind the 8-ball especially when you’re playing in their backyard,” he said.
“So I think it’s going to help; the fact that, you know, I’ve played one before, and we know what to expect. I know personally what to expect. Because you have to experience it before you go out there.
So when you get to that first tee, it’s not a Thursday morning. It’s like the back nine on a Sunday when you’re in contention right from the first tee shot on Thursday. That’s the difference in the attitude that you have to have, and that’s what I have learned, as well, from my past experiences,” the 30-year-old added.
