GOLF

2017 has been a great year for me, says golfer Shubhankar Sharma

shubhankar-sharma-josekutty-panackal [File] Shubhankar Sharma | Josekutty Panackal

Shubhankar Sharma is presently living his dream. The 21-year-old golf sensation is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Rory Mcllroy, Thomas Bjorn, Sergio Garcia and a host of European stars this week at the Omega Dubai Desert classic, and Sharma is getting used to it.

He ended 2017 on a high by winning the PGTA year-ending McLeod Russel Tour Championship in Kolkata. But the signs of his breaking through last year were there as he finished tied 10th in Hong Kong, tied 27th in Mauritius and then went on to win Johannesburg. He carried his good form in 2018, making the cut in the Abu Dhabi Open last week, which he finished tied 44th.

The big one for young Sharma came in early December last year. Sharma became the youngest Indian to win on the European Tour when he emerged the winner at the co-sanctioned Johannesburg Open by three strokes. That win also gave him a chance to compete at the British Open later this year.

Son of any Army officer, Sharma follows in the footsteps of his illustrious peers—Jeev Milkha Singh, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri. A product of the DLF Golf and Country Club, Gurugram, he carries on the Indian golf tradition on the European Tour alongside older contemporaries like S.S.P. Chowrasia. It was at this club as a teenager that he first met the ‘Big Easy’, Ernie Els, and shyly asked for his autograph. In Johannesburg, as a leader and eventual winner, he met Els yet again, but this time as a champion. The Open is his favourite golf competition and Tiger Woods is his golf idol.

In a brief interaction with THE WEEK, Sharma gave an insight into his game, his approach and preparation for bigger challenges.

Excerpts from the interview:

When you look back at 2017, how would you describe it? And did you get a chance to meet Ernie Els post your win in Joburg?

2017 has been a great year for me, actually the best so far. I won two times out of the three starts I made in India at the PGTI. I started great on the Asian Tour as well, making quite a few top 10s in the early part of the year. The win in Joburg has been just the apt ending to the entire build-up during the year.

Yes, I met Ernie after the win, though a bit late, in Abu Dhabi, during #ADGolfChamps. He gave me another card of his!

Winning the Joburg Open changes a lot of things for you, as it brings with it a spot at the Open Championship and an opportunity to play on the European Tour—what are the lessons you take away from the Joburg win and how would you approach the Open and the European Tour events?

The Joburg win has not only been path-breaking for me, but I guess it will change a lot of things for the Indian golf ecosystem and the upcoming crop of golfers of my generation. I guess this moment is going to be a watershed moment for Indian golf and the belief system of Indian players.

I do not think that I am going to do anything different on the European Tour. I just have to keep doing what I have been doing so far—keep my head down and work hard.

Open will truly be a big moment for me. It has been my dream to be there and compete and may be win. So nothing is going to change from there. Yeah, I am hugely excited to be playing there.

The Desert swing—Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Dubai—will kick-start your 2018 campaign; in golf, how difficult is it to sustain good form post a big victory and how crucial will it be for you to have a solid start?

Desert swing has actually started and I played well in Abu Dhabi. I will be playing in Dubai, Malaysia, Oman and Qatar from here on. I think my game is at the right place and I am looking forward to compete with the big boys of golf at their own terms. I am ready!

As far sustaining the form, at least for me, I do not think I have ever been in or out of form. There have been occasional issues with the clubs or the fitness, but I do not think form was an issue with me, ever. So I guess it will be same with me going forward too.

Have you had time to sit back, look at what and where you need to improve further, talk it with your coach/coaches/trainer—could you talk through your support system, which helps you prepare for an event?

I do have a system of checks and balances after each event, which I carry out with my coach, technical advisor and my father. We discuss all the issues and resolve those. There are always issues in golf!

On the nutrition part, I have a great guy called Ryan Fernando. He is always willing to advise me on my nutrient requirements, as I am a vegetarian. Apart from this, Sagar Diwan and Dr Ravinder help me in my physical conditioning and physio aspects, respectively. Both guys are thorough in their jobs.

So having a good and reliable support staff becomes vital.

I am also grateful to DLF, which has been supporting me for the past six years in my journey. DLF Golf and Country Club has excellent facilities for the sport, which will help budding golfers excel in golf.

On the PGTI tour, is there anyone whom you are close to or like to discuss your golf with?

I do not discus my golf with many people. It is generally between me, my coach Jesse Grewal, technical advisor Gurbaaz Mann and my father.

You follow in the footsteps of Jeev Milka Singh, Arjun Atwal, S.S.P. Chowrasia and Anirban Lahiri. Have you had any interactions with any of them in the recent past?

All of these guys are great human beings and role models, apart from being great golfers. I am in touch with each and every one of them and have the privilege of being their friend for a while now. All of them personally congratulated me on my European Tour win.

How do you prepare for a competition or even a round of golf before you tee off? Is there any routine that you follow?

I like to be extremely calm and relaxed on the mornings of the tournaments. I try and avoid any distractions, especially before the round. After taking a bow in a small mandir, which goes with me everywhere, I head for the course.

I do my routine on the range as normal and go clutter free on the first tee.

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Topics : #Golf

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