Late birdie hands Sharma Open chance
INDIAN SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED WITH TIED 44TH FINISH IN DUBAI
INDIA’S Shubhankar Sharma ended a long season lasting 26 weeks of action with a birdie on the 18th hole in the final round of the DP World Tour Championship to qualify for next year’s Open Championship.
The birdie at the Earth Course at the Jumeirah Golf State may seem a small compensation for a week that did not go his way, as he finished the day at 1-over 73 and a total of 3-over 291 for a tied 44th finish.
Yet that one final birdie may have been the gain as it will get him into the 2023 Open Championship.
Sharma finished the season in the 29th place in the Race to Dubai.
With the Top-30 of the DP World Tour getting into the world’s oldest Open, Sharma will get to celebrate his 27th birthday (July 21) at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake from July 20-23, 2023.
Spain’s Jon Rahm, one of the most outspoken and much-loved golfers on the DP World Tour, turned in a commanding final round to beat Rory McIlroy in the race to become the first to win a third DP World Tour Championship.
Rahm shot 5-under 67 on Sunday and totalled 20-under 268 to win by two shots over Tyrell Hatton (66) and Alex Noren (67).
Rory McIlroy, the World’s No. 1 player, finished fourth after a final round 68 for a total of 16-under 272 and four adrift of Rahm. McIlroy will stay as the No. 1 while Rahm will be No. 5 in world rankings.
However, McIlroy, the leader on the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai rankings, stayed on top and became only the second player to win both the DP World Tour’s season-long rankings and the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup – the first was Henrik Stenson in 2016. For Sharma the final event of 2023 was bittersweet. ‘’That (ensuring a spot in the Open) is something to feel happy about. But after last week’s finish (third) at the Nedbank Challenge, I was looking at closing the season better.
‘’Yet, it was a long and eventful season during which there was a lot of travel, some great results and some disappointment at getting Covid in the middle of the year before the Open at St. Andrews.’’
On his play this week, Sharma, who has two European Tour titles, said, “I just could not get the putter to work. Also, I had some trouble with my side. It was just one of those weeks, when I did not have my ‘A’ game. But still a few good results, some less than modest in the middle of the year.
‘’Overall, it was alright, but could have been much better. The good thing is I am feeling more confident, the game is in a good place and the new season is something I am looking forward to, but after some rest.’’