Lahiri, Chawrasia, Sharma to lead Indian challenge at Indian Open
Defending champion SSP Chawrasia, former champion Anirban Lahiri and twice European Tour winner and emerging talent Shubhankar Sharma will lead…
A six-time winner on the Asian Tour, in-form Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia would be eyeing his maiden title on the European soil when he tees off at the USD 3.25 million Omega European Masters, getting underway on Thursday.
Out of the six titles that the 39-year-old Arjuna awardee has won, four were events co-sanctioned with the European Tour in India. He won the Indian Open title, co-sanctioned by Asian and European Tour, in 2016 as well as this year.
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Chawrasia, however, is yet to win a title on the European soil in his more than a two-decade long career.
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Placed second on the Order of Merit, Chawrasia will also chase leader David Lipsky of the United States on the money list.
To be held at the held Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, the Omega Masters is the only tournament on European soil to be co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.
“The conditions are excellent and it’s just getting better and better every year. This year, we have as new green on hole 11 which I think it’s slightly easier than the old green. The game is feeling good. I played well in Denmark a couple of weeks back. Hopefully it will be a good week,” Chawrasia said.
“You need to hit it straight and putt well to score on this course. Everybody is hitting the ball good so it’s important to putt well as the greens are tricky. You actually have the see where the mountains are before you putt. It’s interesting,” he added.
Chawrasia said the Arjuna award will inspire him to scale greater heights.
“It has been my dream since I was a junior. I am really happy to win the award. Everyone is very happy for me back home. It was nice. I enjoyed my time back home before coming here.
“I am just playing my own game. I just want to focus on my own game and not think so much about the Order of Merit crown. I know I am playing well so I will just stick to my routine. If I play good enough, it will come to me,” he said.
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