Top 5 achievements by Indian Golfers till date

Ranked 34 in the world, Bangalore-based golfer Anirban Lahiri eagerly awaits his turn to play at the Augusta Masters, which commences on Thursday. This will be the 27-year old’s second appearance at a Master’s event, after finishing tied 31st at the Open Championship in 2012. While many might expect him to buckle under the pressure of being Asia's top ranked Golfer, Lahiri seems to think otherwise. He has been on top of his game for the past two years and will hope to carry it through to the big event. At such a momentous occasion for Lahiri and Indian golf, it is now time to take a look at five of the most remarkable achievements by the nation’s golfers.

#1 Anirban Lahiri becomes India\'s highest ranked golfer

Anirban Lahiri is only the third Indian Golfer to play in a Masters event.

Anirban Lahiri’s career has quite literally, taken off in the last three years. After registering his first win in 2011 at the Panasonic Open, he then went on to win the SAIL-SBI Open the following year.

This was soon followed by his biggest breakthrough till date, when he qualified for a Major for the first time. Although, he finished tied for the 31st spot at the Open Championship in 2012, he had announced himself in the big league.

Following a successful 2013 season that saw him pick up two titles, Lahiri broke into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

In February this year, he won two consecutive titles, winning the Malaysia Maybank Open and the Hero India Open. That Lahiri won both events despite heading into the last days trailing by four or more strokes only goes on to show his resolve and determination.

Following his victory at the Hero India Open this year, Lahiri’s ranking rose to 34, which made him the highest ranked Indian golfer ever, taking him past Jeev Milkha Singh, whose highest ever ranking had been 35.

#2 Jeev Milkha Singh\'s foray into the Top 50

Jeev Milkha Singh created in 2006 when he broke into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.

Jeev Milkha Singh is, in his own right, a pioneering presence on the landscape of Indian golf. Among other illustrious accomplishments, Jeev Milkha Singh was the first Indian golfer to break into the Top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking as well as the country’s first Golfer to play on the European Tour.

He achieved his best results on the European Tour in 2006, winning the Volvo China Open by one stroke and the season-ending Volvo Masters. He ended 2006 on a high note topping the Asian Order of Merit.

His stupendous achievements saw him break into the Top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, making him the first Indian ever to achieve the distinction.

The first Indian ever to play in a Major, Jeev went on to finish tied for the ninth spot at the PGA Championship in 2008.

#3 Arjun Atwal becoming the first Indian to reach US-PGA tour

In 2002, Arjun Atwal became the first Indian Golfer to win a tournament on European Tour.

While the distinction of being the first Indian to play on the European Tour belongs to Jeev Milkha Singh, the pride of being the first Indian to notch up a win on the same goes to Arjun Atwal.

The Kolkata-based golfer, Atwal won his first title on the European Tour when he sauntered to a five-stroke win at the Caltex Singapore Masters in 2002, four years ahead of Jeev accomplishing a similar feat.

In 2004, he became the first Indian golfer to play on the US-PGA tour. Atwal is also the only Indian-born player to win a tournament on the PGA Tour, a feat he achieved when he won the Wyndham Championship in 2010.

In 2003, he topped the Asian Order of Merit while also becoming the first Indian Golfer to win a million dollars, which he achieved by virtue of triumphing at the Hero Honda Masters.

#4 SSP Chawrasia\'s inspirational story

Caddie turned SSP Chawrasia beat the likes of Ernie Els and Arjun Atwal to win the Indian Masters in 2008.

Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia’s life is, in now way, any less dramatic than a Hindi potboiler. A caddie turned Professional Golfer, Chawrasia has won eight titles on the Indian tour after he turned professional in 1997.

In 2008, despite competing against established international stalwarts such as Ernie Els, Ross McGowan and Maarten Lafeber to name but three of them apart from Indian heavyweights such Arjun Atwal, Gaurav Ghei, he emerged victor by two strokes at the Indian Masters, which Chawrasia then described as the biggest win of his life. The win at the Indian Masters was also his first on the European Tour. The win also helped him top the Asian Order of Merit.

He earned his second win on European Tour when he went on to win the Avantha Masters in New Delhi by one stroke in 2011.

#5 Jyoti Randhawa\'s consistency

Jyoti Randhawa broke into the top 100 of the Official World Golf Ranking on numerous occasions.

One of India’s best Golfers, Jyoti Randhawa’s consistent run in the years between 2004 to 2009 saw him break into the top 100 on numerous occasions.

In this period, he also qualified for the US Open finishing tied for the 27th spot in the only Major that he has played. Randhawa boasts as many as eight titles on the Asian Tour.

Randhawa achieved his first big win in 1998 when he won the Hero Honda Masters, beating Jeev Milkha Singh by four strokes. In 2002, he finished on top of the Asian Order of Merit.

However, his career has been on a downward slide since 2009 with his ranking falling from 218 at the end of 2009 to 562 in 2012.