By Rahul Banerji
Shubhankar Sharma, back in action on the European Tour, is aware he has a chance to seal a berth for the Tokyo Olympics as golf falters again back home.
Sharma, who resumed his European Tour campaign the Austrian Golf Open near Vienna did not however, make the best of starts in the cold on Thursday.
At three-over par 75, he was seven shots behind a tree-way tie for the lead at the Diamond Country Club in Atzenbrugg.
Former Indian Open winner Shiv Shankar Prasad Chawrasia was the best-placed Indian on level par 72.
Sharma was tied for 100th place on 75 and Ajeetesh Sandhu on 5-over 77 with players still out on the course.
Before his return to competition, though, Sharma took a two-week break at a tea estate in Palampur, Himachal Pradesh, with friend and fellow professional Khalin Joshi.
Ranked 380 in the world, Sharma knows that playing on the European Tour now gives him a chance to get back into the Olympics race.
“The Olympics are definitely on my mind as it would be an honour to represent India at one of the biggest sporting events,” said the Chandigarh-based player, currently 101st on the European Tour Race to Dubai.
“I know a few good weeks in Europe would bring me back in contention for an Olympic berth but I’m not thinking too far ahead at the moment and am just focused on the job at hand.
Clear goal
“One of my goals this year is to finish high on the Race to Dubai.
“It’s going to be quite a challenge as all the events over the next six months will be played in tough European conditions with the wind and weather coming into play.
“I’m playing here at the Diamond CC for the first time and the wind and freezing temperature will be a big test this week,” added Shubhankar.
The Tour is back on European soil after staging its first six events of the year in West Asia and Africa.
With at least four more events ahead of the June 21 Olympic qualifying cut-off, Sharma is in with a good chance to improve his rankings significantly.
The two-time European Tour winner has shown sparks of form with three top-30s from his six starts on the European Tour including a best of T22 at the Dubai Desert Classic.
“It’s been an average year for me so far but I’m looking at the positives,” said the 24-year-old.
“I’m playing much better than the results suggest, I’m in a good frame of mind and in good physical condition at the moment,” added Sharma, 2018 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion.
Lahiri confident ahead of RBC Heritage
Meanwhile, in Hilton Head,Anirban Lahiri tees off at the PGA Tour’s RBC Heritage even still celebrating good friend Hideki Matsuyama’s Masters win.
“Hideki is a good friend since we played on the Presidents Cup team. And we knew each other a bit from the Tour before that also. Seeing him play the highest level and win the Masters was a big boost.”
Soon after Matsuyama’s magnificent win, Lahiri tweeted, “What a win! Hideki you did it! Time for all of us to step. So happy and proud of you my friend! #asiarising #gointl #Masters #greenjacket “
Lahiri will also have coach Vijay Divecha with him after the latter arrived at the start of the Masters week, an off week for Lahiri, the PGA Tour said.
After struggling for quite some time before finishing fifth at the Valero Texas Open, an upbeat Lahiri said, “We’ll get to work on the other departments and just try and build.
“It will be nice to actually have him take over and have me think less and do more.
“It’s been tough the last three or four weeks just grinding, grinding, and grinding and working hard. So it felt nice to be rewarded by a nice week (in Texas).
“And now Vijay can add to that. Having him is a big change. It is a big difference.”
Divecha added, “We worked in the week of Masters, play the RBC Heritage and have another week off to work. Then let’s see.”
Also read: Mid-pack finishes for Sharma, Bhullar at Savannah Classic
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