Record Rs 17 crore pay day for Anirban Lahiri | Golf News – Times of India

Anirban Lahiri finishes second at The Players, just a shot behind winner, claims $2.18 million in prize money
It can happen in life, it can happen in golf. That sudden turnaround, a reversal of fortunes. “The beauty about what we do is that you’re one week away from being a PGA Tour winner,” said Anirban Lahiri in a pre-tournament news conference at The Players Championship.
Probably no one gave a chance to the man who had just snapped a streak of three consecutive missed cuts with a T-74th finish at Arnold Palmer Invitational a week before. In 12 starts on the Tour, Lahiri had missed seven cuts and his best finish was tied 40th position.
Besides, TPC Sawgrass had been a pain in the neck for the Bengali from Bengaluru. In five appearances at The Players, he had missed four cuts and finished tied 74th in 2019. And by his own admission this year, he was not enjoying the game anymore.

“I think the inconsistency that has crept up in different departments of my game can be irritating, can sometimes be infuriating, frustrating, a lot of those negative emotions, and those get in the way of actually enjoying your golf,” he had said.
But it’s all about the grind, the hard work, hope, the small tweaks…yes, yes, life. You wait for the big break with or without a smile, and then you see the sunshine after the storm.
It was just a little short of the jackpot, just one number away. But it pays to be second in golf, especially at The Players with a total prize purse of $20 million. A cheque for $2. 18 million will soothe the pain, right?
“I want to win. I’ve been here seven years; haven’t gotten over the line yet. That’s definitely a monkey I want to get off my back. Today was as good an opportunity as any,” said Lahiri.
In the final test, the Aussie had to beat the Indian. Cameron Smith, with a six-under 66, edged third-round leader Lahiri who closed out on 3-under 69, hands on his knees, contemplating what could have been.
A few deep breaths after failing to get a birdie on the 18th to force a playoff, and Anirban knew he had climbed a mountain within and without.
“I’m just relieved. I’ve gone through two years of playing horrible. The last time I contended in a field this good was at Memorial maybe, five years ago, or even that was a backdoor second. I shot 7-under on Sunday. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in this position in a quality field like this,” he said, the disappointment tinged with the colour of optimism.
“It’s huge, because when you go through such a lean period for such a long time, you start asking yourself, man, was that a flash in the pan? What are you doing? You haven’t played good in so long. Your belief takes a hit, so this for me is I’m going to re-cement the foundation and work upwards from here.”
It had been a strange windswept week in extreme conditions. The 34-year-old had armed himself with four layers of clothing for defence against the bitter cold. He had bulked up technically too, adding 3. 5g of weight to all of his irons and the result was there to see.
Having shot a first-round 5-under 67 on Thursday, Lahiri sat out on Friday and Saturday due to adverse weather conditions. “A welcome break,” he called it after five weeks on the Tour. So, it was eat, stretch, rest, watch India play Sri Lanka on TV, hit some shots and putts.
Then came the whirlwind on Sunday and Monday. Anirban met the challenge with calmness and focus, and he almost got there. The trophy was the ultimate prize, but we all know Lahiri was the winner here.