Shubhankar Sharma finishes sixth, in reckoning for Asian Tour Order of Merit

HONG KONG: India's Shubhankar Sharma Sunday followed up his European Tour Rookie of the Year award season with a top-10 finish at the HONMA Hong Kong Open, strengthening his chances of winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit. At the Hong Kong Golf Club course, the 22-year-old Sharma shot a three-under par 67 on the final day to improve to tied sixth place at nine-under par 271. England's Aaron Rai, who is of Indian origin, won his first tournament on the European Tour after battling compatriot Matthew Fitzpatrick down the final stretch. The 23-year-old closed with a one-under par 69 to finish on 17-under par 263, one shot better than Fitzpatrick (64). Sharma finished alongside 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia and consolidated his position on top of the Asian Tour's Habitat for Humanity Standing. Only three players now have a chance to catch up the Indian - Korean Sanghyun Park, South African Justin Harding and American John Catlin - but they will have to win at least two of the three remaining events on the schedule. After a round that contained four birdies and a bogey, Sharma said: "I'm definitely very happy with this top-10 finish. It got really tough out there today with the rain, and in the end I was just pleased to finish off well. "I was trying my best to stay calm and I'm really happy with the way I played. I got off to a bad start, but the par on the last hole was very nice, so I'm very happy."