LIV star sends ‘wake up’ message as defectors continue to tumble down world rankings

Anirban Lahiri is one of a number of LIV Golf stars who have fallen down the world rankings, hampering his chances of representing India at this summer’s Olympic Games.

Anirban Lahiri has urged those in the professional golf industry to be more alert as he and his colleagues from LIV Golf face a decline in the global rankings.

This week, Lahiri is making a comeback to the DP World Tour by competing in the Indian Open at DLF Golf & Country Club. As a member of Crushers GC, he has received a sponsor exemption that will allow him to potentially earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points to improve his ranking position.

Since making the move to the breakaway circuit – who continue to host events without ranking points on offer – the Indian star has drifted out of the top-400 of the OWGR, a world away from his former stay in the world’s top-40.

This has seen Lahiri lose his playing rights in golf’s four major championships, whilst also hampering his chances of making it to Paris for this summer’s Olympic Games. Ahead of his home Open in Gurugram this week, the Indian star became the latest LIV member to vent his frustrations over their ongoing ranking issue.

“There might be a situation where a lot of really good golfers don’t make it to Paris. And maybe that’s what is needed for the world to wake up and say we need to do something,” he commented. Having had applications from the OWGR rejected, the Saudi-backed series announced it had given up its hunt for ranking points earlier this month.

Lahiri is visibly dissatisfied with the current situation, but he has announced his intention to qualify for the Olympic team, beginning at DLF Country Club and then competing on the Asian Tour.

He stated, “I refuse to complain and instead am excited about competing in eight or 12 strong rounds following the Indian Open.” “I will search for those tournaments on the Asian Tour, but it will be influenced by many factors. The only thing I can control is performing well in all four rounds this week.

The Olympics is still a goal that I have yet to achieve. As with all athletes, I could come up with a number of reasons for not performing well in the past two Games, but it is time to move on. I do not have any regrets about my choice to join LIV.”

Each nation will be represented by their top two ranked players in the OWGR at the Olympic games in Paris this August. Lahiri, who is currently ranked as the third-highest Indian player at 401st, is behind Shubhankar Sharma at 188th and Gaganjeet Bhullar at 248th.

The LIV star has experience in Olympic golf, participating in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and representing India in Tokyo five years later.

The qualification period for the men’s event at Le Golf National in August will close on June 17, two months prior to the competition.”