It has been eleven years since Shubhankar Sharma turned pro as a tender 16-year-old, but all good things take time. And at Hoylake, Shubhankar Sharma discovered the essence of his golf, having gone through his own enfleurage.
If the shots he played were the petals, the various elements of the course – tricky tees, elusive fairways, sticky rough, unforgiving bunkers, and undulating greens – were the fats. But unlike the purified fats used in extracting the essential oils, the layers in The Open were spicy and pungent even from a distance, mercilessly punishing anyone that dared to roll into them.
Under these tenuous circumstances, Shubhankar produced one of the finest major performances for an Indian golfer, playing with enormous grit and determination. At par or better on all four days (68-71-70-70), Shubhankar did everything under his control to ensure that he stayed in contention throughout the week.
By Sunday, soaked in the steady rain, Shubhankar mixed equal portions of skill, serenity, and doggedness to constantly work his way back from disadvantage. On average, he was making 63% of the fairways, and 67% of the greens in regulation. Yet, he managed to work his way around the course at 5-under. He was losing nearly a stroke off the tee and a similar amount around the green. But Shubhankar gained two and a half strokes overall on the field last week, and just as much from tee to green.
Numbers barely tell the story of a links journey, but these were just enough to indicate the tenacity with which Shubhankar counter-punched every time he was in a spot of bother. Most importantly, he found the tallest version of himself, when Hoylake turned wild and wicked for the final round. It was a cathartic day that helped Shubhankar come face to face with his greatest dream and dare it into reality. “I know, they were just very different conditions. This is the highest stage of golf, and I felt like this was a true British Open where we saw everything from wind to rain to slightly calm conditions to sunlight and cold, everything,” acknowledged Shubhankar. “I am very pleased that I held my own until the end. Especially the way I played today.”There were many shots that exuded class, crafted carefully through a combination of course awareness, club selection and finesse in execution. At the opening hole on Saturday, under slightly moist conditions, Shubhankar drove left into the rough. The iron to the green refused to fade enough, leaving him with an up and down to save par. The third shot though was pure touch and brilliance. He feathered the ball with his wedge, caressing it just three feet from the pin. It was a classic example of so much of his work last week, where he intently refused to be startled into errors or concede strokes.The top 10 finish at The Open was not only a reflection of his maturing skills but even more so of his stoic attitude and temperament.
All of 136 yards, the par-3 17th, Little Eye, drew plenty of attention at The Open. It was hard to judge the wind playing beneath the horseshoe gallery. Shubhankar played an 8-iron when nine might have been appropriate, watching in pain as the ball sailed well clear into the waste area beyond the green. Playing sideways, instead of arrogating a quick rescue, he took the loss in a calculated double bogey five on Friday.
At the par-5 fifth of the third round, Shubhankar was on the green in two, sitting 36 feet from the pin. Crouching to study the line, he picked up a ridge to the left of the cup. After wiping the putter clean, he would stroke the ball to perfection, catching the spine and allowing the ball to roll right into the cup. A stellar putt, the best of the 118 he needed to navigate the 72 holes at Royal Liverpool.
The very best though came at the par-5 72nd hole. The wet conditions made it hard to fly the ball long, and after two shots, Shubhankar was standing over a ball that lay 203 yards from the pin, guarded by three vicious bunkers. Even though his caddy suggested going safely along with a 4-iron, the golfer decided to back his own feeling and pick the 5-iron. Shubhankar produced a prodigious approach shot that never left the flag. It was a bold stroke, backed by precise execution under duress on the final hole of a major. A two-putt from 12 feet secured the only clean card on Sunday, a fine tribute to his resilience.
Golf is fickle, like the English weather. But if Shubhankar can bottle some of The Open spirit and pack it in his bag, he might spin into a greater orbit in the months to come.
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