Shubhankar Sharma: Top Ten facts about the young Indian golfer

05 May, 2018: Shubhankar Sharma is an unassuming young man whose march towards success has amazed the golfing world. But the young man and his family are far from surprised, having spent years working with the boy and his relentless effort to turn into a champion golfer.

In this feature, we discuss some interesting facts about the 21 year old champion from Chandigarh.

1. Shubhankar enjoyed a traditional upbringing in a tight knit family. His mother’s quiet resolve and his father’s undying quest for excellence have energised the journey of this young golfer. A sister, he dotes on, completes the picture perfect environment that has nourished him into a well mannered, down to earth golfer.
2. Meditation is a tool that comes handy to Shubhankar on his long treks around the planet. The 21 year old practices it on long haul flights and lonely evenings while on the tour. “It allows to recalibrate and stay grounded,” says the golfer.
3. Do you have a ticket to Old Trafford? Shubhankar is waiting to watch his favourite side play in the Premier League on one of his visits to England. He is a big Manchester United fan, so that 0-1 loss to Brighton at the Falmer Stadium is sure to hurt.
4. Shubhankar is a die-hard vegetarian. Rice, dal and curry are among his favourite options but he has learnt to adapt to bread, cheese and salad when he is stranded without too many vegetarian options. The microwave is a saviour too as he unpacks pre-cooked meals as a last resort. Spinach and Broccoli are his go to weapons as he looks for adequate nourishment on his plate.
5. He is part of an exclusive club of four men to have won twice in their first 20 starts on the European Tour. Shubhankar emulated Luke Donald, Jeunghun Wang and Jon Rahm by winning in Johannesburg and Kuala Lumpur.
6. The journey that started his golfing adventure began with a bit of prodding from Tushar Lahiri, father of Anirban. Mohan Sharma took up the invitation to golf and soon Shubhankar would follow the trail, starting his journey with a cut down two iron.
7. Shubhankar has six victories on the Indian professional circuit. His first professional win came at the PGTI Cochin Masters in 2014.
8. At world No.71, Shubhankar is the only golfer inside the top 75 on the OWGR to have begun the year outside the top 200.
9. Shubhankar shares a geographical connection with Jeev Milkha Singh, as both men hail from Chandigarh, a north Indian city with a rich golfing tradition. The four time European Tour winner has served to inspire Shubhankar on his quest for international success.
10. Immediate goals for Shubhankar include earning a full card to the PGA TOUR and rising to be the highest ranked Indian golfer ever, going past his hero Jeev, who was once ranked as high as 28th in the world in 2009.