Anirban Lahiri, Udayan Mane and Aditi Ashok will be the Indian representatives in golf. Considering the quality of the field and their form, they could well end up as part of the results, and away from the frontrunners to the podium.
After all, Lahiri and Mane are the last two names in the Olympic Golf Ranking list of 60 qualifiers.
Rahm heads the list
World No. 2 Jon Rahm (Spain) heads the list that includes five others from the world top-10 list.
Four of those are Americans — Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau — and the star from Ireland, Rory Mcllory.
Such being the creamy layer of the select field, including golfers from 35 countries, it is difficult to visualise Lahiri and Mane staying in the medal-hunt.
No great form
Going for his second straight Olympics, Lahiri has not shown any great form this season on the PGA Tour. He has two top-10 finishes after making the ‘cut’ in nine events from 19 outings. A bout of COVID kept Lahiri away from action till the first week of May.
For Lahiri, the news of qualification came as a pleasant surprise while a waitlisted Mane made it following the withdrawal of Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo.
Mane has only played in India and made it to Tokyo based on the world ranking points gained from the domestic tour.
Key role
Three wins in the 2020-21 PGTI season played a key role in Mane getting the necessary points to be considered on the waiting list.
Aditi, also set for her second Olympic appearance, was focusing on getting her act right on the LPGA Tour when the news of her qualification trickled in.
A worry
Aditi’s form remains a worry since her best finish this season is a distant 23rd in the LPGA Drive On Championship. Placed 45th on the list of 60 qualifiers, Aditi will find it tough to be in contention in a field that has world’s top-15 players, headed by American Nelly Korda.
Realistically, the Indians are set to be among the also-rans.
The participants: Men: Anirban Lahiri, Udayan Mane; Women: Aditi Ashok.
