Anirban Lahiri gets call-up for Hong Kong Open

New Delhi, Nov 9: Soon after young golfer Anirban Lahiri won his second professional title at the BILT Open Sunday, he received a call that he has found a berth in the UBS Hong Kong Open.

Lahiri, who is counted in the group of promising youngsters to hit the Asian golf scene in the last one year or so and received a similar late call for Singapore Open last year, was overjoyed at the Hong Kong call-up.

"This is indeed a bonus, getting a berth into the Hong Kong Open, which is joint-sanctioned," said Lahiri, while leaving for Hong Kong late sunday. This is Lahiri's first joint-sanctioned event since Singapore Open last year.

"I am in good form right now, with the Hero Honda Indian Open third place and the BILT Open win, so getting a chance to play a big event is indeed welcome. I am looking forward to it."

The 22-year-old Lahiri turned professional in 2007 after six wins in amateur golf between 2006 and 2007. This is his first full season this year after coming through the Asian Tour Q-School, where he was tied 33rd and earned the card right on the line, as 40 players earned the playing rights.

After a couple of modest finishes, he tied for fourth at Black Mountain Masters in Thailand. Then he had a ninth place in Queen's Cup, but it was at the Hero Honda Indian Open last month, where he tied for third that he secured his card for 2010. He followed that up with a ninth place in Iskandar Johor Open the week after Indian Open.

In between Lahiri won the PGTI event in Panchkula for his maiden professional title and then followed that up with another win in BILT Open, the richest ever event on Indian domestic Tour.

"After finishing second in BILT Open behind Jyoti and tying with Jeev, gave me a lot of confidence. But it was after the win in Panchkula that got the monkey off my back," said the Eagleton pro Lahiri, who learnt much of his golf in Bangalore.

In 12 starts Lahiri has earned $125,908 and is currently 28th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. "After last year's Singapore Open, I have not been able to get into any joint-sanctioned events, so the Hong Kong Open ought to be a good experience," said Lahiri, who is also planning to play the Cambodian Open and the season-ending King's Cup in Thailand.