Sharma’s focus sharpens in Mexico Championship
MEXICO CITY — Success has come quickly for Shubhankar Sharma as a professional golfer, and the Mexico Championship is no exception.
In Friday’s second round, the 21-year-old hit a 3-wood shot that landed on the green and settled two feet away from the cup for an eagle on the opening hole at Chapultepec Golf Club. He finished with three straight birdies for a 5-under 66. And in his first World Golf Championship, he led by two shots at the halfway point.
“I worked all my life to come and play at a high stage like this,” said Sharma, who turned pro when he was 16. “You have to expect great things from yourself if you want to play at a high stage. I just try and not think of anything before I start. I just try and concentrate on the success and just let things go.”
Sharma overcame a pair of three-putt bogeys early in his round and was at 11-under 131. Tied for second were Rafa Cabrera Bello (67), 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia (65) and Xander Schauffele (66).
Sharma’s greatest asset is a stable mind, and he has not shown any moments of being overwhelmed. Even so, there have been a few surreal moments for the rising star, such as warming up on the range before the second round.
Jordan Spieth, last year’s British Open champion and a former No. 1 in the World Golf Ranking, was hitting balls behind him. When Spieth left, current No. 1 Dustin Johnson took his place. It was hard for Sharma not to glance at over his shoulder.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said.
And then it got better. Sharma had such control over his game that he putted for birdie on every hole except the par-4 eighth, where he escaped from the trees into a bunker, blasted out to 12 feet away from the hole and saved par. He shot 31 on the back nine, finishing with a gap wedge he hammered to 10 feet from the hole for a final birdie,
and walked off the final green to a big ovation.
Sharma, the only two-time winner on the European Tour this season and the Race to Dubai leader, is No. 75 in the world. Still in his sights is a chance to move into the top 64 after next week to get into the Dell Match Play, and he has an outside chance of earning a spot in the Masters next month.
“Everything has happened so fast for me,” Sharma said. “In the past four months, my life has totally changed. Obviously, the final destination for me is the PGA Tour. That’s always been my dream. Just playing well here this week will get me closer to my dream.”
Ten players were within four shots of the lead, a group that included Johnson, who shot a 66 and was in the logjam at 7-under 135.
Tiger’s trail grows
Tiger Woods is adding another tournament to his schedule on the road to the Masters.
Woods decided Friday to play in next week’s Valspar Championship, along with the Arnold Palmer Invitational the following week. Both tournaments are in his home state of Florida. It was another strong signal about the health of his surgically fused lower back, giving him four tournament starts in five weeks.
Woods tweeted he committed to play both tournaments after a “good recovery week.”
Woods has missed the Masters three of the past four years because of four back operations, the most recent a fusion surgery last April. His latest return has been promising with a tie for 23rd, a 12th-place finish and one missed cut.
Dunlap, Tolles lead
TUCSON, Ariz. — Scott Dunlap and Tommy Tolles topped the Cologuard Classic leaderboard after opening at 8-under 65, with Steve Stricker a stroke back in a bid for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
Dunlap closed his bogey-free round on Omni Tucson National’s Catalina Course with birdies on the par-5 eighth and par-4 ninth. Tolles, playing in the last group off the first tee, birdied the par-4 18th for a share of the lead. He also had a bogey-free day.
University of Illinois coach Mike Small matched Stricker at 66.
Kang surges ahead
SINGAPORE — Danielle Kang shot an 8-under 64 and held a four-stroke lead halfway through the Women’s World Championship.
Kang, who won last year’s Women’s PGA Championship, had eight birdies to equal the course record at Sentosa Golf Club and lead the LPGA tournament at 12-under 132 after her second straight bogey-free round.
Nelly Korda (66) and fellow American Alex Marina (67) were tied for second, with Chella Choi (69), Cristie Kerr (67) and Minjee Lee (66) another stroke back.
Birdie binge is key
PRETORIA, South Africa — George Coetzee shot a second-round 64 at the course he grew up playing and led the Tshwane Open by one at the midway mark.
Coetzee made six birdies on a rampant back nine and seven overall to go to 11 under overall at Pretoria Country Club, jumping six places up the leaderboard and moving ahead of Felipe Aguilar (67) and Mikko Korhonen (64).
Coetzee is seeking a fourth European Tour title and his second at the Tshwane Open after winning in 2015.