Shubhankar Sharma misses cut at English Championship

The Indian golfer carded one-under 70 in the second round to finish tied-106 at the Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club.

2 minBy Naveen Peter
Shubhankar Sharma was unable to make the cut for the weekend at the English Championship. 

Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma’s hopes of making it to the weekend at the English Championship came to an end as he fell short of making the cut on Friday.

The 24-year-old Indian carded an aggregate score of one-under 141 to share the 106th position on the leaderboard at the Hanbury Manor Marriott Hotel & Country Club in Hertfordshire.

Meanwhile, Englishman Andy Sullivan showcased a fine display of his controlled stroke play to record the lowest nine of his European Tour career and occupy a one-shot lead heading into the weekend.

The 33-year-old Sullivan ended the day’s proceedings with an aggregate score of 14-under 128 (66, 62).

Shubhankar Sharma finds it hard

Coming into Friday’s action on the back of an even-par show in the opening round, Sharma needed something special if he had to stand a chance on dipping below the mark.

And though the Indian teed off brightly with a bridie in his opening hole, he couldn’t build on the start as the round progressed. 

A double bogey in the fifth was followed by a bogey in the following hole. The two-time European Tour winner, however, did his best to salvage the round with a bridie in the ninth and an impressive eagle at the par-five 12th.

Shubhankar Sharma wasn’t consistent enough though as another bogey on the 16th dented his run.  

There were no such problems for the local favourite Andy Sullivan who stroked an impressive seven birdies coming in to set the course record. 

“It was very satisfying,” he told the European Tour. “I’m really happy with my day’s work.

“Yesterday and today were both slow on the front nine and I didn’t get into my flow with the swing and wasn’t moving it the way I wanted to. 

"Then on the back nine, I freed up a little bit and got the putter going. I holed a lot of nice putts out there. I got a little bit of luck here and there as well, which when you shoot a low round it tends to go that way.”

Andy Sullivan will hope to continue his fine run with compatriot Laurie Canter and South African Dean Burmester staying on his toes.