WION EXCLUSIVE | Anirban Lahiri looks ahead to the PGA Championship

The civil war in Golf is taking another pause with LIV Golf's best teeing up alongside the best of the PGA Tour at the PGA Championship in Rochester in the state of New York. Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Cameron Smith will lead the challenge of the LIV brigade with Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory Mcilroy aiming to deny their rivals once again. Anirban Lahiri is the only Indian golfer in the fray at Oak Hill Country Club and had finished inside the Top-Five at the 2015 edition of the tournament. Lahiri spoke to Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo ahead of the second major of the year.

“Well the thing is, we prefer not to talk too much about politics because, at the end of the day, that's what this is. The world of golf has become entrenched in politics unfortunately with different organisations vying for power and essentially. Retaining power or dictating terms essentially. It’s a sad situation that we find ourselves in,” said Lahiri while he exclusively spoke to WION.

There has been a conflict surrounding the LIV Golf and PGA where 16 golfers have pulled out of the PGA Championships. Paul Casey was the latest to join the casualty list with Sam Stevens taking his place instead at the 2023 PGA Championship in Oak Hill, Pittsford.

Speaking on the issue Lahiri opened up on the latest situation surrounding the European tour where the situation is more dilute.

“Organisations are themselves now potentially compromising professional golfers and professional golf. So, what is happening is very sad. I am really glad that I am not an active European tour member right now, I haven't been for a while because it would have put me also in a very sticky situation. But for someone like Lee, or Poulter or Henrick, these guys have been legends. They are Ryder Cup legends, and they have supported a lot of their home events. All that is suddenly forgotten. It is very very sad. It is very political and it is very unfortunate,” added Lahiri.

Speaking on his current run he reflected on how he usually beginshis season and why he found it hard to get started at the start of the season.

“I think I started off this season almost trying a little bit too hard. I was getting in my own way; I think that’s been something I’m guilty of over the many years that I have played professional golf. I think we all get really amped up and really excited when we start a season. I didn’t play that early in the year and I had to reset,” Lahiri added.

The current war of politics between PGA and LIV leaves only 16 golfers from the Saudi-backed league that will be present at Oak Hill this week. As things stand the following golfers from the LIV golf will take guards in the event starting from Thursday.

Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Patrick Reed, Bryson DeChambeau, Talor Gooch, Abraham Ancer, Mito Pereira, Phil Mickelson, Dean Burmester, Thomas Pieters, Harold Varner III, Anirban Lahiri, Brendan Seele, Sihwan Kim.

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