Presidents Cup: Meet the International team

By the grace of Price’s captain’s pick, 30-year-old Anirban Lahiri is making his second Presidents Cup appearance. Lahiri became the first player from India to play in the event in 2015, but did not represent well with an 0-3-0 record.

Lahiri was just 16th in the final Presidents Cup standings and behind Hideto Tanihara, Yuta Ikeda, Li Haotong and Byeong Hun An, all of whom were not selected. It was a bit of a puzzling pick to some, including me who would have preferred Li, but Price hasn’t lost faith in Lahiri.

“You’ve got to learn to lose before you really appreciate how to win,” Price was quoted by First Post.

There’s some truth to that. Plus, a rookie thrown into the gauntlet in what’s ultimately a very small sample size makes it reasonable to give him another chance if you believe he’s your best option.

Lahiri will come in with a chip on his shoulder.

“I felt like I let the team down, and I feel like I need to go back out there and contribute to the winning cause,” Lahiri said in the First Post.

Lahiri’s shown modest form in recent weeks and had his best finish since May in his last start at the BMW Championship, a T9. In May, Lahiri nearly won his first PGA Tour event against a strong field at The Memorial, tying for second.

Ultimately captain’s picks don’t make an enormous impact either way as I don’t see Lahiri playing more than three times again, but upset wins here and there at the margins have potential to swing the outcome.

Lahiri is 14th on the PGA Tour in birdie average, which could come in handy in four ball.