SNPL Masters, the richest golf event of Nepal with a record prize money of Rs 4.8 million, will feature Pro-Am event on May 7 as the curtain raiser event. [break]The tournament, a joint sanctioned event between the Professional Golf Tour of India and the Nepal Professional Golfers Association, has increased the prize money for the upcoming edition from Rs 4 million to Rs 4.8 million to attract top professional golfers like Lahari in the tournament.
Lahiri is one of the top Indian golfers currently placed in the 11th position in the Asian Tour Order of Merit 2013. After turning pro in 2007, Lahari has already claimed 10 Pro-titles and would be one of the golfers to look after in SNPL Masters 2013. Lahari, 26, has won three Asian Tour titles and seven PGTI titles.
The young pro from Bangalore, India won his third Asian Tour title when he successfully defended his SAIL-SBI Open crown in March 2013. In 2012, Lahiri won the SAIL-SBI Open and was tied eighth in the Panasonic Open India, the co-sanctioned event by both Asian Tour and PGTI. He also finished fifth in the Indian Open.
Lahiri made a memorable debut Major appearance when he claimed tied 31st place at the British Open 2012. This was the second-best finish by an Indian in the British Open.
Anirban was the runner-up at the PGTI Players Championship presented by Prestige Golfshire Club in 2012. He won the Panasonic Open India 2011. He also finished sixth in the SAIL Open and tied eighth at the Queen´s Cup in 2011.
His momentous 12-under-60 in the BILT Open 2011 at Jaypee Greens equaled the record for the lowest to par score in a single round in Indian soil set by China´s Liang Wen-Chong during the Indian Open 2008.
He won PGTI Players Championships in the Tollygunge Club and the Panchkula Golf Club in 2011. He was joint runner-up in the BILT Open and tied fourth in the DLF Masters. He finished fifth in the 2011 Rolex Rankings.
In the 2010 PGTI season, he won the PGTI Players Championship presented by Aamby Valley Golf Course, the PGTI Players Championship presented by Oxford Golf & Country Club and the BILT Open. He also posted three other top-10s. His 24-under-264 total at Aamby Valley helped him set a new PGTI record for four rounds. He ended the year in third position on the Rolex Rankings.
He was the 2009 Rolex Rankings champion with two wins and seven other top-10 finishes in the season. He won his first professional title at the Haryana Open 2009 presented by HUDA and DLF and followed that up with victory at the BILT Open 2009.
Lahari was one of the top performers in the Indian amateur circuit in 2005 and 2006. He won the Samarvir Sahi Amateur in 2005 and GKD Memorial Gold Cup in 2006. He also finished runners-up at the Western India Amateur and Southern India Amateur in 2006.
He was part of the Indian team that bagged the silver medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. He had also represented India in the World Junior Team Championship in Japan in 2006.
Related story
One to Watch launches new acceleration program
