Team India wins skills challenge

Ace Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri sunk a brilliant 67-feet putt to help Team India beat Rest of the World in skills challenge at Hero India Open  on Tuesday.

Ahead of the Hero Indian Open, the Skills Challenge pitted the best of Indian players against the Rest of the World here at the Delhi Golf Club.

The Indian Team comprising defending Hero Indian Open Champion, Anirban Lahiri (captain), four-time runners up SSP Chawrasia, Jeev Milkha Singh and S Chikkarangappa squared up against the Rest of the World team consisting of three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington (captain), Marcus Fraser, Daniel Chopra and Mardan Mamat.

In the first Long Drive challenge, the Indian pair of Lahiri and Jeev took on Harrington and Chopra. 

Jeev drew first blood when he his drive off the tee measured a massive 310 yards. The next task of Approach challenge saw Chawrasia and Chikka taking on the combination of Fraser and Chopra. This too went in favour of Team India when Chikka’s approach shot stopped closest to the pin at 9ft 4in.

But the Rest of The World team pulled one back when Mamat’s bunker play measured 9ft 9in from the pin.

The Skills Challenge came to a climax in the final task of Long Putt as the full team on either side went head-to-head.

For Team India, Lahiri sealed it when he sunk a monstrous 67-feet putt, leaving the Rest of the World high and dry.

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and CEO, Hero MotoCorp gave away the prizes for the Skills Challenge.