By Rahul Banerji
Having finished a satisfying second at the just-concluded PGTI Players Championship, Shubhankar Sharma will have his sights set next on the PGA Tour’s WGC-Mexico event that gets under way on Thursday.
India’s number one golfer rose steadily through the field at the Classic Golf and Country Club to eventually share second place with PGTI veteran Mukesh Kumar on 14-under par 274, one behind winner Udayan Mane with rounds of 70, 68, 69 and 67. It would have been just the sort of relaxed warm-up needed for the rigours of the Mexico tournament.
“I’m looking forward to going back to Mexico,” he told the PGA Tour. “Obviously, I’ve got lots of special memories and feelings from last year’s tournament. I really like the golf course where you have to be sharp with your game.
“I’ll be giving my best for sure. You never know what can happen … golf is funny game. I wasn’t able to win it last year and I’ll keep trying,” he added.
Grabbing eyeballs
Last year, Shubhankar stunned the world when he vaulted into the second and third round leads against a quality field at the Club Golf de Chapultepec before finishing tied ninth.
Though he was disappointed not to have done better, Sharma’s run propelled him to global attention and he was thereafter to feature in all the remaining World Golf Championships plus the majors. He also won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title, the Arjuna award and rounded things off with the European Tour’s rookie of the year accolade.
Shubhankar feels his 2018 campaign will help on to bigger and better achievements after already pocketing two Asian Tour-European Tour sanctioned tournaments in South Africa and Malaysia.
In 2019 so far, Shubhankar had had a subdued start with two missed cuts from three tournaments but a timely return to the tree-lined and tricky Chapultepec course is likely to get him going again.
Last year, he had rounds of 65, 66 and 69 before closing with a 74. It marked a week that included an encounter with eventual winner Phil Mickelson, who had brushed Sharma away when the Indian approached him on the practice putting green as the American though he was a journalist looking for an interview.
‘Season’s highlight’
“It (Mexico) was definitely a highlight in 2018. I couldn’t finish it off, but it was a turning point for me. It showed I could play against best in the world in what was my first WGC of my career. Having a chance to win at this stage of my career was a good experience, and upon my return home, I received a lot of support and a lot of kids now look up to me and they also believe they can play at the highest stage,” said Sharma.
“Mexico was a really big stage and I had a chance to win which was huge. Hopefully I’ll get more opportunities.
“You always learn something new, there’s a lot of pressure and the body can react differently. In Mexico and CIMB, I learned a lot. It’s more of the mental approach, getting more comfortable playing in the lead groups.
“I’m comfortable playing in the lead but at the highest stage, it’s a different level. I think you just have to tell yourself it’s golf. That’s what I’ll try to do,” he said.
Busy schedule
In all, Shubhankar played 33 tournaments around the world last year and he would like to balance his schedule this season to ensure his mind and body are fresh.
“I played a lot of big events. A lot of good things happened and it raised my confidence that I could play against the best,” he recalled.
“It was a long season and I got to learn about my body. I’m learning to get over jet lags and getting rested up. The body and mind react differently when you play so much and it’s something I’m learning to manage.
“I’m hoping to get the scheduling right, make a proper schedule and stick to it. I was also playing on new courses on most weeks and hopefully it becomes easier when I get back to those places that I’ve been to.”
Goals set
His goals for 2019 are clear –to join the International Team for the Presidents Cup at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December and also challenge for a PGA Tour card through the non-member category.
“I’m aiming for more consistency, more top-10s, top-15s,” Sharma said. “Winning will be great but I’m looking for more top results in a consistent manner.
“Getting into the Presidents Cup team … that’s right up there. I really want to be part of the team. The PGA Tour is a goal but I’m not going to push it too hard. I’ve got Mexico and the Open on my schedule right now which counts towards the PGA Tour so hopefully I can have some good results and see where it takes me.”
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