Published July 17, 2008 on February 12, 2019

India’s Sharma Eager to Reprise Top Form in WGC-Mexico Championship

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India’s Shubhankar Sharma can’t wait to return to the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship later this month.

A year ago, the 22-year-old prospect took the world by storm, grabbing the second- and third-round leads against a star-studded field at Club Golf de Chapultepec before finishing T9.

While disappointed he failed to cross the finish line first, Sharma’s valiant run in Mexico propelled him to global fame and set him off on an adventure of a lifetime where he featured in all four World Golf Championships plus the majors, won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title and was afforded the Arjuna award which is one of the highest sporting accolades conferred in India.

Sharma believes his 2018 campaign will form the building blocks as he pursues greater success in his burgeoning career, which presently includes two victories in Asian Tour-European Tour-sanctioned tournaments achieved in South Africa and Malaysia.

He has so far endured a subdued start to 2019 with two missed cuts from three tournaments but a timely return to the tree-lined and tricky Chapultepec course from February 21 to 24 will get his adrenaline rushing again.

“I’m looking forward to going back to Mexico. 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 a funny game. I wasn’t able to win it last year and I’ll keep trying,” he said.

Sharma, who grew up watching major golf events with his father during the wee hours of mornings in their Chandigarh home, shot rounds of 65, 66 and 69 to turn the spotlight on himself before closing with a 74. It marked a magical week which included an amusing encounter with eventual winner Phil Mickelson, who had brushed Sharma away when the Indian approached him on the practice putting green as the American thought he was a journalist looking for an interview.

“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 the 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.”

In October, he reinforced his growing credentials by taking the co-third round lead in the CIMB Classic in Malaysia before finishing T10 with a final round 72. He believes he can eventually break through and earn the right to compete full time on the PGA TOUR.

“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.

In all, Sharma featured in 33 tournaments around the globe in 2018 and he hopes to trim his schedule this season to ensure his mind and body are fresh whenever he tees it up.

“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 reflected. “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.”

His goals for 2019 are quite clear– he intends 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.”