Anirban Lahiri gave it all he had, but in the end he just couldn't get his clubs to do his bidding and the weather did not help. The net result: a second round card of 73 and with a total of three-over 145, Anirban Lahiri exited from the 96th PGA Championships on Friday, even as the rain kept pouring down through the day.
He probably did not think about it, but like him, there were many others missing the cut and the list included Major winners Martin Kaymer (70-74), Padraig Harrington (73-71), YE Yang (75-71), Keegan Bradley (74-72), Webb Simpson (73-74), Stewart Cink (72-75), Darren Clarke (79-69), John Daly (76-72) and then the biggest of them all, Tiger Woods (74-74), besides US Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson.
Lahiri had a round of 72 on first day and he was 79th, and after a second round 73, at 145 he missed the cut by two shots.
A start delayed by 50 minutes on account of rain, which kept alternating between drizzles and heavy downpour, added to Lahiri's woes, but as he said, that is part of the game.
He did birdie three times, but also gave away five bogeys at the damp and soggy Valhalla, where even some of the greens and fairways had standing water early in the morning prompting a 50-minute delayed start.
Lahiri was three-over on front stretch and one-under on the back nine.
Once again, the putts did not fall and as Lahiri said, "I made far too many mistakes. You cannot give away five bogeys. The rain and wind made it worse, but that is no excuse in the end. I had a bad start and then I had a three-putt from after being in the centre of the fairway on fourth. I consistently leaked shots on the sixth, the eight and then again on 14th. In between when I got chances I was not able to convert them."
He added, "It was great to get two chances at Majors in so short a time but unfortunately I was not able to use either. These have not been the healthiest weeks for me and I was not 100 % but I could have still played better."
He did admit, "Yes I have learnt a lot. I have seen the big stage now and it motivates me to get back to it. And I am sure I will. I know I have a long way to go but I will be back, for sure."
Lahiri plans to stay on for another day or two, practice at Valhalla with his coach, Vijay Divecha, who is here and then head back. He is due to play in Fiji next week, an event on Australasian Tour.
Opening with a bogey after hitting his drive into left rough with tall fescue grass, he went into the left rough near greenside and then two putted from 32 feet for the bogey 5. On the second he hit a nice second shot to 10 feet but missed the birdie putt. A birdie did come on the third, but he three-putted from 25 feet for a bogey on fourth. Another bogey followed on sixth, when he went into the greenside bunker with his third and then needed up and down for a bogey. He dropped another shot on eighth and then parred the ninth to turn in three-over for the day and at four-over for the tournament, he was staring at an earlier than planned return to home.
On the back nine, he birdied the 10th holing a six-foot birdie putt and then on he sank a neat 17-footer for birdie on par-3 15th.
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