Don’t re-invent the strategy, just execute it better: Lahiri

Delhi Golf Club was not really one of Anirban Lahiri’s favourite golf courses. Then one day, he decided on a strategy – leave the driver out. And it worked. He won the Panasonic Open. That was in 2011.

Now Lahiri does not want change any strategy. He has no reason to – he has three times at the DGC since then – the latest being the Hero Indian Open last year, a title he defends this week.

He summed it up beautifully. “It is not about having a new strategy, it is about executing the strategy that has worked for you. I’ve won a few times and contended numerous times. I won’t reinvent a new strategy because my plan works. I just need to execute it better and more efficiently,” he said.

He went on, “Over the years if you have a strategy at Delhi Golf Club, you don’t mess with it. It is hard enough playing here so you stick with it. Four years ago, I took my driver out and that’s never going to make an appearance at the Delhi Golf Club. I (just) try to repeat what I’ve managed to do well.”

Lahiri remarked, “Yes, it is always nice to come back to the Delhi Golf Club and defend my title. There are a lot of things that are keeping me really happy. Obviously, I’m feeling very comfortable overdosing on Indian food (laughs).” He added, “I have played so much golf here in the last five or six years. When you play the Delhi course during the practice round, you are gauging the conditions. There is always something different here. The course is probably the most lush I’ve seen it. The rough is also up. We’ve had a lot of rain so that will make the course play slightly different. The course is in great shape and I look forward to a great week.”