Anirban Lahiri, one of six new signings recently unveiled by the Greg Norman-fronted LIV Golf Series, has opened up about his decision to join the circuit – citing loneliness, a return to his roots and a change in how golf is consumed in India as his main drivers.
“It’s a very lonely life out there as a top athlete, and that is something many fans are unable to comprehend,” he told Hindustan Times.
“Just to give you an example, finishing second at the Players [Championship] was such a huge thing for me, but I could not celebrate until four months later in July when I visited India after the Scottish Open. I see this [joining LIV Golf] as an effort to correct my work-life balance. I see this as a move back closer to my family and friends. I see this as something that gives me more time to enjoy my kids growing up.”
Lahiri will now ply his trade away from the PGA Tour, and he will do so without any ill-feeling towards the circuit that gave him a home for nearly a decade: “I really dont have anything negative to say about the PGA Tour. The eight years I spent playing there have been an amazing experience. I greatly enjoyed playing against some of the best players in the world. This is more of a personal decision.”
The 35-year-old is the first Indian contracted to the Saudi-backed Series and believes the venture can have the same impact as the Indian Premier League has had to cricket: “I look at the IPL and T20 and when it started, I remember the almost-vehement opposition it received. But it had the potential of changing the way we consumed cricket and change is always good.
“Look at it now. The Board of Control for Cricket in India is laughing all the way to the bank and so are the players. The broadcasters are delighted because they get off-the-chart ratings. LIV can be the IPL of golf.”
When it comes to LIV Golf, they are without a mainstream television broadcast deal. Instead, the product is consumed via the streaming platform – YouTube. On face value, the loss of revenue is bound to be seen as a negative by LIV Golf bosses but it has had a positive…
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