LIV GOLF CHICAGO

September 23, 2023

Anirban Lahiri

Rich Harvest Farms

Crushers GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome Anirban Lahiri from Crushers GC. You are currently sitting in second place at 10-under. You shot 5-under today. Tell us a little bit about your round.

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: Yeah, it was a pretty solid round of golf. Got off to a nice start. Chipped in for eagle on the 2nd, which was my first hole. Got out of position, then made a nice birdie on 4. So yeah, quick start, but then I really didn't give myself that many close looks at birdie; lots of 15-, 20-footers that I just didn't make any.

Then yeah, it was just one of those rounds where I shot a good score, I played good overall, but it could have been so much better.

Q. Do you think the course is going to play the same tomorrow as it did today, and do you have a different strategy to try to go a little lower?

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: The strategy is probably the same. To go lower I have to make a few more putts, probably hit my wedges a little closer than I did today, but we had a nice sunny, breezy day. Even then I think it's just absorbed so much water. I don't know how much it's going to dry out.

I think the big question will be how much will the greens firm up. I think if the greens get a little bouncier and a little firmer, then it could play a little different, but I still think the course is going to play on the softer side given everything that we've had, so yeah, strategies are going to be the same: Put it in the fairway, give ourselves looks, and make some putts.

Q. You're down three right now; is there a different feeling versus being like a stroke behind?

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: I mean, this is the kind of golf course like Sebastian shot 8-under and he got to it pretty quick. Like I said, the conditions are there. If you hit your wedges good and the short stick gets hot, you can make birdies in a hurry. I think it's not just him, but there's a lot of people chasing him. You could shoot 7, 8, 9 tomorrow definitely. It's on, unless it gets to 30, 40 miles an hour or something changes drastically you could go really low, and that's all I'm focused on doing.

I can't control what Sebastian or anyone else does, so I'm just going to focus on my process and what I'm trying to do on the golf course.

Q. This hot stretch you're in right now, how does it compare to other hot stretches you've had since February --

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: I don't know if I can call it a hot stretch because generally that would involve some wins. I've had a few too many seconds, so hopefully at the end of the day tomorrow I can tell you it's a hot streak.

Q. Have you changed your approach this year to Rich Harvest Farms because of the conditions?

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: Not really. I think it is playing a little bit different. I think the greens are in much better shape from last year. I think we kind of struggled a little bit with the surfaces last year, and I think the greens are so much better this year, that's why you're seeing low scores because if you hit it inside four, five feet, unless you hit a bad putt you should make it. That's the hallmark of a good golf course.

For me, I think Rich Harvest Farms is very specific in what it demands on you. If you hit it in the rough, you're not going to hit it close, especially on some of those holes coming in, so you have to hit the fairway. If you don't, you're playing defense. If you hit the fairways, the greens are soft enough where you can play offense, so that's the only difference as opposed to having rock hard greens where even on the fairway it's hard to go at some flags.

I just have to stick to the template and do what it asks of you.

Q. Do you have a preference, firm and fast or --

ANIRBAN LAHIRI: I prefer any golf course where at the end of the week I'm standing on the podium. I prefer that.