By Rahul Banerji
Chandigarh golfer Shubhankar Sharma recorded his best finish for some time with a tied 22nd placing in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at Emirates Golf Club on Sunday.
Sharma, who was last in the winner’s circle at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia three years ago, showed glimpses of solid form at the Dubai event that England’s Paul Casey won by a handsome four-shot margin.
The 25-year-old Indian had rounds of 70, 68, 72 and 73 at the picturesque par-72 venue to finish on 5-under 283 for 64th place in the Race t Dubaim the European Tour’s Order of Merit.
Shubhankar had the game over the week to have brought in a stronger finish, as Dubai-based golf writer Joy Chakravarty noted.
“I walked with Shubhankar on all four days and felt he played way better than his T22nd place,” tweeted Chakravarty.
“It had a top-10 writter all over. He is driving the ball really well and if his irons fire, I think he will be a contender in Saudi” (at the $3.5 million Saudi International later this week.
Sharma has had to endure a difficult run of late and his best finish before Sunday’s was a tied 55th at the South African Open in early December last year.
Better display
Coming into the Dubai Desert Classic, Shubhankar was 152nd at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, so the surge in form will have pleased him.
Ahead of the Johannesburg Open that he won for his maiden European Tour title four years ago, Sharma had told their website, “This is my eighth year as a professional, there are players here who have played for 20 years …
“They are always coming back and competing and trying to win every week that keeps them going and grinding and that’s the beautiful part about the sport.
“You are always competing against yourself around the course. You always want to better yourself, better every aspect of the game and that’s why this game is so unique.
“You can never conquer it so you just keep going and grinding.”
Desert treble
For Casey, who was 17 under for the four days at Emirates GC, it made for a United Arab Emirates hat-trick after wins in Aby Dhabi in 2007 and 2009.
The 43-year-old was four shots ahead of South Africa’s Brandon Stone for his 15th European Tour victory, drawing level with Ryder Cup captains Thomas Bjorn and Padraig Harrington.
“I’m all emotional with wins, but this one is such a prestigious event,” Casey was quoted as saying after the $3.25 million tournament.
“The history which is behind you, and I can see it from here with amazing winners, is basically a who’s who in world golf.
“I’m so over the moon. Not just 15, the fact it’s Dubai. It’s an iconic event on the European Tour. One of the coolest trophies around.
“I think the whole of 2020 has been very strange, still is very strange, and I’m very, very thankful to be able to do what I do and still be out here playing golf.
“I’m still learning. I’m still getting better. I’m still growing up. I always like to learn from the guys I play against and compete with and against.
“Playing the best in the world, guys like Dustin (Johnson) right now, sort of learning what they do and it’s something I’ve worked on.
“I feel kind of fine with where I’m at and it doesn’t mean I’m soft. It actually means I’m kind of pushing on and I’m at peace with whatever happens in terms of my golf career from here on.”
Reed pulls it off
At the Farmers Insurance Open in San Deigo, Patrick Reed won his ninth PGA Tour title five strokes ahead of the pack.
Reed was co-leader with Carlos Ortiz after three days but pulled away from the field with a monster eagle putt.
Further birdies before the turn and a final one to finish gave the sometimes controversial golfer a 14 under par total.
Viktor Hovland of Norway was tied second along with Americans Tony Finau, Ryan Palmer and Xander Schauffele, and Henrik Norlander of Sweden.
Anirban Lahiri missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance, his second in a row despite showing slashes of form.
Also read: Double whammy: England’s golfers clean up at Dubai
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