Fresh from his first Asian Tour title of year, Anirban Lahiri and his compatriot Shiv Kapur believe the future of Indian golf is in safe hands with the emergence of promising youngsters Rashid Khan and Khalin Joshi.
Khan and Joshi put on solid performances at the SAIL-SBI Open which earned praises from Lahiri, who successfully defended his title on Saturday.
The 22-year-old Khan pushed Lahiri to the limit at the Delhi Golf Club but lost in the first extra hole.
Despite the defeat, Khan still held his head high with his best result on the Asian Tour which propelled him to fourth place on the Order of Merit with winnings of USD 33,000.
"I'm happy with how I played. I've learned a lot of things. I've played with a lot of top players and I'm learning. That's what I'm doing and I know what I have to do now," said Khan.
Joshi, India's number one amateur last year, roared into a share of the halfway lead last week but his title hopes faded with a final round 76.
He showed composure and talent despite his tender age of 21 and is expected to bounce back and contend regularly.
"I'm amazed at the way the young guys are playing. It's a big stage. My first few years on the Asian Tour, I struggled. The guts and ability that the young guys like Rashid and Khalin are showing, it's phenomenal," said Lahiri.
"I wasn't that good when I was their age. They are five years younger than me and I feel like an old man. It's fantastic for Indian golf. I think it's great," he added.
