Shubhankar Sharma makes par start at English Championship golf

Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma’s hopes of getting his season back on track post the COVID-19 break got off to a patchy start as he carded an even-par 71 at the English Championship on Thursday.

At the Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Hertfordshire, the Indian golfer was placed tied-110 and will need a solid second round if he has to make the cut for the weekend.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland’s Cormac Sharvin eked out a one-stroke lead with a course record of 63 for an eight-under-par to sit on top of the leaderboard.

Topsy-turvy start

Hoping to make the most of his early start, Shubhankar Sharma made a confident start with a birdie at each in the first two holes but blew that away with bogeys in the fourth and fifth.

Though the 24-year-old Indian golfer tried his best to get some momentum going, Sharma had to settle for a birdie and a bogey on the back nine.

Shubhankar Sharma, only the second Indian golfer to hit the pro tour post the COVID-19 pandemic, had been working on his game during the lockdown period in India.

“The COVID-19 crisis was actually a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to reassess my game and mental state too,” the Indian had said earlier.

“I took advantage of this period to reflect on all aspects of my game. I practised my chipping where I made a small hole in the ground and tried to hit as many chips close to that as possible.”

Shubhankar Sharma had resumed his season at the Hero Open last week where he missed the cut.