Augusta, 04 April: Shubhankar Sharma will tee off with Augusta native and 1987 Masters Champion Larry Mize on Thursday. A couple of minutes after 1000pm in India, the young Indian will make his debut at the Masters playing with Mize and Russell Henley.
On the course with him as he climbs down the first tee and uphill along the steep fairway, Shubhankar can draw from plenty of wisdom. He has Mitchell Knox on his bag, a man that has served David Duval in the past. Knox called for his yardage books and among those that his wife sent was one with notes, four years before his new boss was even born.
Mize is also a repository of Masters wisdom, as he steps out to play his 35th Masters tournament. The local golfer produced an epic chip in on the 11th hole in a play-off against Greg Norman to collect his treasured Green Jacket.
“He used to caddie for David Duval. He’s won the British Open with him and they have been in contention at the Masters a few times,” said Shubhankar of his caddie. “So Mitch has been fantastic, and he was joking yesterday that he has yardage books which are older than me.
“He has yardage books back from ’95, ’96. So it’s great to have that experience that he really helped me this week,” added Shubhankar. “And yesterday, even yesterday he could really help me with a lot of pin positions and just right places to hit the ball and just information that the Rae’s Creek has a big effect on mostly all the putts on the course. There’s a huge pull towards the Rae’s Creek.”
Shubhankar has played 18 holes on Monday and got out to the course soon after his media commitments on Tuesday to complete another round of golf.
The 21 year old is in Augusta with his family, his sister among those around him providing support and encouragement. Vandini Sharma, still a young teenager, will have an opportunity to write an opinion piece for the Associated Press this week, reflecting on her brother’s journey through Augusta.
“Yeah, my sister is here with me this week, and she’s just sitting right there, and it’s a great week for her as well,” said Shubhankar. “She has her diary with her, and she’s pretty much going to write down whatever she’s experiencing here. And I think it’s a great experience for her as well.
“We have been very close since we were kids, and it’s great that my whole family is here and that they can experience the Masters live, just walking through the fairways and just see how it is,” added Shubhankar. “And I’m sure she will have a lot of stories to tell her friends back home when she gets there, and I’m sure she will enjoy the experience.”
