‘ Sharma can be India’s Tiger’
Highpraisefor youngsterahead ofmajordebut intheMasters
As he prepares to participate in his first major championship this week at the Masters, the accolades keep pouring in for India’s 21- year- old golf sensation Shubhankar Sharma.
Three- time Green Jacketwinner Phil Mickelson, who defeated Sharma at the WGC- Mexico where the youngster was leading the elite field going into the final day, was among those who lauded the decision of the Masters Committee to hand him a special invite.
Mickelson, who mistook Sharma for a journalistwhen hewent up to introduce himself during the Mexico tournament before playing the final round together, compared the Chandigarh pro to TigerWoods and said: “Given the way he played in Mexico and his talent level, I’m excited that he has the opportunity to play here and compete at theMasters.
“Itwill createmore awareness in hishomecountry for the game of golf. I think the growth potential in India is enormous, and what he is doing to help grow that game could very well be similar to what Tiger has done to growgolf in the US andworld.”
And while Sharma, currently leading the European Tour’s Race to Dubai afterwinning the Joburg Open and the Maybank Championship this season, is excited about his chances at the grandest stage in world golf, he is also very aware of the impact a good performance this week would have back home.
“I am humbled by the fact that the Masters Committee felt I am good enough to be handed a special invitation. Playing theMasters would be the biggest moment of my career so far, it ismy firstmajor after all, but I know there are manymore to come inthe future,” says Sharma.
Playing the Masterswould be the biggest momentofmy career so far... but I knowthere aremanymore to comein the future.” Shubhankar Sharma » Indian golf sensation
Short- term, long- term goals
“The short- term goal is that I want to prove to the tournament that I was worthy of the invitation. The long- term goal is to make sure I am back here year after year on my own. The best way to do that is to win the Green Jacket. Can I do it this year? I believe so. I believe I belong at this stage. I believe I can contend in majors and win.”
Asked by a journalist how it feels to represent the “future of Indian golf”, Sharma added: “It means a great deal to me. I feel like if I can inspire kids back home in anyway, itwill definitely be a great thing for me. I’ll be really happy if I can do that.
“I went back for the Indian Open, and I had so many kids coming up to me and so many parents coming up to me and congratulating me. It really makes me very happy when I see more and more kids coming in the game, and more and more people followingme.
“I think it helps that I’m really young and kids can look up tome and say that if he can do it, we cando it aswell.”
Sharma refused to believe that carrying the expectations of a nation of 1.3 billion people was a burden as he becomes only the fourth Indian to make it to the Masters after Jeev Milkha Singh ( 2007, ’ 08 and ’ 09), Arjun Atwal ( 2011) and Anirban Lahiri ( 2015 and ’ 16).
“There’s no burden, to be honest. There’s no pressure at all. I think everyone back home are just happy for me that I’m competing at this level,” he says.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a game and you are just trying to have fun. If I play my best, I will surely be in contention. But it’s just like any other golf tournament … you play four good rounds of golf, and you end up winning.
“Obviously, the pressure is a lot more because the Masters is a very grand stage. I’m actually very happy I’m getting a lot of attention.”
Sharma’s first real tryst with Augusta National far exceeded his expectations.
“I thought I was kind of prepared for it, butmost of the holes exceeded my expectation. They were just very, very beautiful,” said Sharma after his first two practice rounds.
“I just can’t wait for Thursday to come sooner.”
Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Phil Mickelson lead a host of in- form golf stars creating high expectations for an epicMasters.
And those aren’t even most of the top- ranked players stirring a special anticipation in the Georgia pine trees beneath which the year’s first major championship opens today at Augusta National.
Top- ranked Dustin Johnson, world No. 3 Jon Rahm, fourthranked Jordan Spieth and fifthranked Justin Rose will be driving upMagnolia Lane aswell.
And don’t forget defending champion Sergio Garcia, who has become a husband and father since winning his first major on his 74th attempt, taking the green jacket on what would have been the 60th birthday of his late idol, two- time Masters winner Seve Ballesteros.
“It has been unbelievable, everything that has been going on,” Garcia said. “I’ve been fortunate to have an amazing career, anamazinglife andnowit’s getting even better.”
Topping the emotional drama of the Spaniard’s playoff win over Rose would be difficult, but a magical 82nd Masters line- up of rising stars near their peak and old favourites in strong form has built excitement seldom seen even on golf’s grandest stage.
Woods sets the pace. The 14time major champion has become a Masters oddsmakers favourite based on sharing second at the Val spar Championship and fifth at Bay Hill in his Augusta National tune- ups.
But formerworld No. 1Woods, ranked 104th, has missed three of the past four Masters with back injuries. It has taken four back surgeries but Woods is driving the ball long once again and putting and chipping well enough to challenge.
“I feel like I’m physically able to do it again and it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Woods said.
Rory chases career Slam
Watson, the 2012 and 2014 Masters champion, won last week’s WGC Match- Play and in February at Riviera to serve notice he could be in the hunt.
“Obviously I want a green jacket. I never felt a coat feel so good,” Watson said. “I don’t
82nd
Masters line- up is shaping up to be an epic showdown
know if I can get lucky three times.”
Four- time major winner McIlroy won the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a Sunday back- nine charge and makes his fourth try at completing the Career Grand Slam by winning the Masters.
“I’m very happy to have my game in this shape going into the first major of the year,” McIlroy said.
Five- time major winner Mickelson ended a 96- event win drought of nearly five years at theWGC Mexico Championship, beating Thomas in a playoff. The left- hander and three- timeMasters champion captured his 43rd career US PGA title at age 47.
ThomasOKnot being No. 1
Thomas, who won last year’s PGA Championship, took his eighth US PGA title at the Honda Classic six weeks before the Masters, but missed a chance to reach Augusta as world No. 1 by
14- major championWoods has become a Masters oddsmakers favourite
losing in the WGC Match- Play semi- finals toWatson.
“In the end itmight be a good thing going to Augusta without that,” Thomas said. “I get to go dowhat Iwas going to do and let DJ have all that pressure.”
Johnson was a heavy Masters favourite last year before falling down a staircase at a rented house on the eve of the event and withdrawing. He won the season- opening Tournament of Champions inHawaii and could threaten again at Augusta.
Rose, the 2015 and 2017 Masters runner- up, last won at the WGC event in Shanghai in October butwas third at BayHill and shared fifth at Valspar.
“Game’s in a nice spot,” Rose said.
Spain’s Rahmwon in the California desert in January and 2011 Masters runner- up Jason Day of Australia won a week later at Torrey Pines. Either could challenge, as could Spieth, the 2015 US Open and Masters winner
and reigning BritishOpenchampion.
Garcia says nothing’s changed
That’s not entirely true. He returns to Augusta National as a husband, having married Angela Akins last summer. He will have a slightly larger entourage with him, most notably a daughter born three weeks ago who will always remind him of the Masters, its beauty and his resiliency. They named her Azalea after the 13th hole on the course.
“I feel very proud for being able to win a major, and to
win theMasters on top of that,” Garcia said. “But you know, like what they all tell me: ‘ Has it changed your life?’ I don’t think and I don’t feel like it has. I’m still doing the same things. It’s something that until it happens, you don’t know what it’s going to feel like and what it’s going to do to you. But on my regard, I’m happy that I don’t feel it has changed me. I don’t feel like I’m better than Iwas before.”
That’s mainly because all the change took place before hewon theMasters.
No one ever had to wait longer — 70 majors as a pro, starting with an 89 in his first round
at Carnoustie in the 1999 British Open — to capture that first major. Few others were teased quite like Garcia, whether it was that back- nine battle with Tiger Woods at age 19 or the playoff loss to Padraig Harrington at Carnoustie in 2007.
As the years passed, as grey speckles showed up in his beard, the outlook shifted from when he would win his firstmajor to if itwould ever happen.
And then it happened.
His wife always thought their first child should be named on the occasion of his first major, and as Garcia said to the Augusta Chronicle, “I hoped it wasn’t
Shinnecock,” a reference to the US Open course this summer.
Holly is the name for the 18th hole where Garcia holed a 12foot birdie putt in the playoff to defeat Justin Rose, a moment seared into Masters lore when he crouched on the green in a moment of reflection and then pounded the turf with his fist in amixture of joy and redemption.
HesettledonAzalea, theflower that so many associate with spring at Augusta National and theMasters.
It’s also the name of the 13th hole, where somuch changed for the Spaniard.