Carnoustie, Scotland, 22-07-2018
Sharma signs off with a 73 at Carnoustie, finishes tied 51st on impressive Open debut
Shubhankar Sharma of India rounded off a memorable week after closing with a two-over-73 to finish in tied 51st place at four-over-288 at The 147th Open at Carnoustie on Sunday.
Sharma (73-71-71-73), who celebrated his 22nd birthday on Saturday, nailed two birdies in his opening five holes but dropped shots on the eighth, 11th, 13th and 15th holes to end his campaign 12 shots back of winner Francesco Molinari at the world's oldest Major championship.
Despite falling off the pace, Sharma is looking on the bright side of things, having made his first Major cut in his debut appearance at The Open, a tournament which he had dreamt about playing since he was a kid.
Shubhankar said, "It was a tough finish for me but I started off well. I was hitting it good and then I lost my concentration in the middle and made some bogeys. I was trying hard to get the momentum back towards the end of the round. I was happy to give myself a birdie putt on the last even though I didn’t make it. I kept trying till the end. It’s a great tournament and definitely a good learning curve for me.
"I had a pretty decent start. I was one-under after nine. Overall I thought I played pretty well, just left a couple of putts out there. But you’re never satisfied of the golf course so it’s alright. I had the same problem with my putting like yesterday. We tried to figure things out but I putted well towards the end.
"It was windy on the 11th hole and I hit a bad shot. But I’m still statisfied with the way I played this week. I haven’t played too much links course before. This is only my third time so I am happy with the result. It’s very different from what we usually play back home in Asia. A lot of learning this week. I felt like I’ve just grown as a player this week.
"I can’t wait to come back here again next time. I wil draw on the experiences that I got this week. Felt a little pressure but only on the second day, I was outside the cutline and I really wanted to play the weekend because it was my birthday yesterday. I didn’t want to be sad on my birthday.
"I was happy that I finished very well to make the cut. The last two rounds were pretty enjoyable as well. This is the best birthday present that I have ever got for myself. The weather was very nice this week. I think it’s one of the best weather at The Open that a lot of people are telling me. Even the last two weeks at the Irish Open and the Scottish Open, the weather was great.
"I’m going to take one week off, gather my energies and get ready for the World Golf Championships- Bridgestone Invitational in August. I feel like I am learning a lot this year. I am just hoping to continue playing the way I have been playing. I just want to focus on every event that I play in, keep on playing and keep on learning."
Source: Asian Tour
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