Lahiri paired with Coetzee, Rafa

In what has been a year of discovery for Anirban Lahiri, the 28-year-old Indian, still the highest ranked Indian golfer in the world despite slipping out of Top-50 in the world, arrives at the ‘Home of Golf’ for his third Major of the season.

Lahiri winner of the Hero Indian Open and Malaysian Open, has been paired alongside another double winner in 2015, South African George Coetzee (Tshwane Open and Mauritius Open) and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who has been in top-5 in three of the last six and been in Top-15 of two others.

“It’s a great pairing, both George Coetzee and Rafa are from European Tour and I have seen them around and they are excellent players. George has already won twice and South Africans do well at Majors and Rafa has been in superb form and was in Top-5 at Irish Open and French Open and was second at Lyoness. So they are in great form,” said Lahiri.

On being at St Andrews, he added,”I have never been to St Andrews or played there before. So, it is quite a dream come true to be here at the historic course for the Open itself. As kids, all of us wanted to play at Augusta and St Andrews. I did Augusta earlier and now this, so <g data-gr-id="23">its</g> been a great year.

Now I need to make it count.” Meanwhile, on Monday as the draw was announced, Jordan Spieth aiming for the third leg of an unprecedented Grand Slam of Golf, has been paired with paired Dustin Johnson, who he beat in a close finish at US Open.

The third player is the young Japanese, Hideki Matsuyama, who is seen as a very strong emerging player, who has already won PGA Tour.

At Chambers Bay in US Open, Johnson had a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole to win the title, but his eagle putt slid four feet past the hole and then he missed the birdie putt to force a playoff and Spieth walked off with his second Major of the year.