Lahiri ready to step up at Open Championship

Indian star Anirban Lahiri believes he will arrive for his second Open Championship appearance next week as a much more accomplished golfer than he was before at his major debut two years ago.
The current Asian Tour number one earned a starting place at Royal Liverpool as one of 10 non-exempt players from the Official World Golf Ranking last week.
News of his late entry into the Open Championship caught him by complete surprise as he was still on his honeymoon in Madagascar.
After making hurried plans to get home which took some 36 hours of travel door to door, the 27-year-old has since kept himself busy by trying to get his game back into groove with his coach Vijay Divecha.

"I've been practising hard over the last three days which is good .... Just trying to get back into the groove," said Lahiri, who finished tied 31st at Royal Lytham and St Annes in 2012.
"It was a great surprise that I've got into my second Open next week. I thought the qualifying cut off was sometime in May and when I checked the Open website, they only had the regular categories available and I assumed I had missed the chance as I wasn't in the field for any of the qualifying events.

"That was why I had scheduled to get some time off. My wife has taken it well although her honeymoon is truncated but she understands the situation, being the wife of a professional golfer. She's been very supportive and I promised to take her back to Madagascar."

Under the watchful eyes of coach Divecha, Lahiri has been working hard on pulling off the shots required for links golf but knows he must possess a strong state of mind ahead of his Major quest.
"I'm looking forward to a new course and a new challenge. In the two years since my first Open appearance, I believe I have progressed as a player and I feel I am going back to the Open as a more rounded player than the last time. I'm looking forward to put my best foot forward," he said.