Lahiri positive after strong first half showing

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After a strong showing in the first half of the ongoing season, Indian golfer Anirban Lahiri says he is confident of notching up his first Asian Tour win outside India in the second leg.

Lahiri came agonisingly close to winning the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters on Sunday after missing a birdie putt on the last hole which would have forced a play-off with eventual winner Pariya Junhasavasdikul of Thailand.

The three-time Asian Tour winner was delighted with the conventional putter which he put in his bag for two tournaments.

“I’ve been putting good with the short putter. I holed a lot of long putts than I would normally have with the belly putter. I’m feeling a lot more comfortable with this under pressure, so you’ll find out what I’ll bring out in September,” said the 25-year-old.

After featuring in nine tournaments, the Indian, who sits in eighth position on the Order of Merit, reckons he needs to remain composed to win outside of his comfort zone.

“I guess I have to wait a little longer for that win outside of India. I’m really happy with the way I played. It was good to be in this position at the Queen’s Cup as well although it was a different story on Sunday. I learned from that. I stayed patient, kept my focus. I made a few mistakes out there but my temperament was much better out there than in the past. I took in a lot of positives,” said Lahiri.

Lahiri remained gracious in defeat after finishing second, which swelled his earnings to $139,380 this season.

“Good for Pariya. I’m happy that he’s won. He’s been struggling in the last couple of years. He’s a good friend. Frankly if I wanted someone to win it apart from myself, it would be him,” he smiled.