India's rising star Anirban Lahiri will be counting on his meditation practice to lead him to a successful debut at The Open Championship which begins on Thursday. The 25-year-old two-time Asian Tour winner is excited at the prospects of tackling the world's oldest Major which is star-laden at Royal Lytham and St Annes but knows he must maintain an even keel to ensure a rewarding week.

"I'll stick to my meditation and stay in the moment and not get carried away and focus on what I need to do. It'll play a critical role. Times of great highs and low, the mind gets muddled and unclear. I have to rely on meditation as it'll only do me good," said Lahiri.

After two previous failed trips to The British Open, Singapore veteran Mardan Mamat reckoned he needed to drastically change his preparation for a third visit this week. Hence, he arrived in the coastal English town over a week ago, has already put in six practice rounds and listened very closely to advice from the local club pro on how to tackle the par-70 Royal Lytham and St Annes.

"I came here last Monday and got to play the course earlier. I'm glad I came earlier to acclimatize and get to know the course better. I've played six practice rounds and took it easy yesterday and will just hit balls at the range today," said Mardan, who is currently 12th on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit.

Asian Tour number one Juvic Pagunsan hopes his decision to travel alone for his Major debut at The Open Championship will reap its rewards starting on Thursday. The Filipino, the first man from his country to win the Order of Merit last year, does not have family or friends to cheer him on at the challenging Royal Lytham and St Annes course but it suits him just fine.

"I traveled alone. No family members or friends. My caddie is a friend's brother who lives in England. I find that travelling alone for tournaments is much better as there will be no distractions. You just think about yourself and don't have to think about your friends. It'll be easier for me to focus on the tournament," said Pagunsan.

Jeev Milkha Singh, winner of the Scottish Open on Sunday, hopes to give his Major ambition a boost by treating this week's Open Championship just 'as another event'. The Indian star, a two-time Asian Tour number one, produced a stunning play-off victory in Scotland to end a four-year winless run and now enters his third Open appearance with his confidence sky high.

While many will be treating a week at Royal Lytham and St Annes as a special one, the 40-year-old Singh is not putting any emphasis towards the year's third Major.