Experienced Sharma ready for Hero Indian Open’s strong field at a challenging course
The 27-year-old, who has won twice on the DP World Tour, said he is ready to add to that.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma was unable to convert his early chances and lost the momentum around the turn to finish with a round of one-over 72 to drop to tied 53rd at the halfway stage of the Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament here Friday.
India’s Shubhankar Sharma was unable to convert his early chances and lost the momentum around the turn to finish with a round of one-over 72 to drop to tied 53rd at the halfway stage of the Turkish Airlines Open golf tournament here Friday.
Shubhankar, who shot one-under 70 on first day, is now even par for 36 holes and will need to get a couple of solid rounds to get his confidence back and also make a nice move up the leaderboard.
Defending champion Justin Rose made a definite move towards defending his title and taking the world no. 1 spot as he moved two shots clear of the field going into the weekend.
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He shot a second successive 65 at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort to move to 12-under.
England’s Tom Lewis fired the lowest round of the week so far with a 63 to get to 10- under alongside countryman and 2016 Masters Champion Danny Willett (65), and Danish Ryder Cup star Thorbj rn Olesen (67), who three-putted for a bogey on the last while Rose birdied the same minutes later.
“Honestly not a very good round. Started off well, as I had birdie opportunities on the first three holes but did not take them. Then I made a silly bogey on fourth. It wasn’t actually a bad shot, it landed next to pin, which cut to the back. The ball went over the edge and had a tough up and down which I missed and made a bogey,” Shubhankar said after the second round.
“I made a bit of a comeback with birdies on seven and eight and a had a good chance on ninth.
“The three-putt on the 10th changed the momentum and then I had a short birdie putt on 11th, which I missed. I had a bad lie in the bunker on 12th and made a bogey there. On the back nine, I made bogeys on both par-5s and that ended my round,” he added.
Shubhankar bogeyed both par-5s on 12th and 16th on back nine. He did have a birdie on 13th but it was not enough to salvage the round.
Of the Asian Tour players, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who was in the top 10 till the 17th, had a crippling bogey on 18th and fell to six-under and tied 17th.
Matt Wallace (70), Gavin Green (70) were both five-under for two rounds to be placed tied 25th, while Wade Ormsby (68) was three-under for tied 31st. Wang Jeunghun (71) was tied 45th and Scott Hend (74) was tied 74th.
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