NEW DELHI — Anirban Lahiri's tie for fifth at the PGA Championship on Sunday has not only raised hopes of India producing a first major winner, it promises to fuel the aspirations of a whole generation golfers in this cricket-crazed country of over 1.2 billion.
The 28-year-old shot a final-round 68 for a 13-under 275 to produce best ever finish by an Indian at a major, surpassing Jeev Milkha Singh's joint-ninth at the 2008 PGA.
The Indian golf fraternity is anticipating a major boost from Lahiri's performance, building on the efforts of Jeev, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal who have helped the game gain recognition in India.