Sharma eyes Ohio ‘date’ with Tiger
OHIO: Shubhankar Sharma has two simple goals to achieve at this week’s World Golf Championships-bridgestone Invitational and one of them is to gather enough courage and introduce himself to Tiger Woods. The second goal is of course to keep his PGA Tour dream alive with a strong showing at the iconic Firestone Country Club.
The 22-year-old Indian will make his debut on Thursday in the USD 10 million showpiece headlined by title holder Hideki Matsuyama, World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, newly-crowned Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari, 29 golfers from the top-30 of the Fedexcup standings and 14-time major winner Woods, who will be playing in his first WGC event in four years. “It’s a tough set up but it is a great tournament which has celebrated great champions. Tiger has won it so many times, and then guys like Adam (Scott), Hideki and other great players have won it too, so just to be a part of that is fantastic,” said Sharma.
Sharma caused a few giggles when he tweeted the following message after the Open Championship: “Last word on one and the only @Tigerwoods. I am yet to directly meet him. My nerves always get better of me, each time. Maybe, he will have to help me there:) A practise round will be ideal @Wgc_bridgestone, especially, looking at how it went for @F_molinari :) @Theopen.”
Sharma hopes to have a normal conversation with Woods and not get nervous. “I think I’ll go say hi to him (Woods), but I’m a bit nervous,” said Sharma, who enjoyed a practice round with Molinari, Italy’s first major champion, at the Open in Carnoustie.
To attain his second goal, Sharma knows he must pull off some great shots of his own. He impressed with a T9 at the WGCMexico Championship in March but has yet to replicate that success in seven other tournaments Stateside.
“It definitely is still a goal to try and earn my PGA TOUR card this year but I have to play really well in the next two weeks. Playing on the PGA TOUR is my aim and I want to make it there,” he said.