The Open in his birthday week means much to Shubhankar Sharma

ROYAL TROON: The Open is always special for Shubhankar Sharma. Since his debut at the Open in Carnoustie in 2018, it has been a 'homecoming' of sorts, with his birthday falling in the same week. Years ago, the two big golfing influences on him, his father, Col ML Sharma, and coach Jesse Grewal, had drilled into him that if he did well, he could always celebrate his birthday, which falls on July 21, at the Open.
"It has been just that for me," says Sharma, who will tee off for his fourth Open start on Thursday. In each of his previous three appearances, the birthday fell during the same week. He added. "Last year it was on Friday and I was in Top-5 but could not think of any celebrations because I was focussed on the final two days."
In 2023 at Royal Liverpool, Sharma made the cut and was tied fourth after the second round on July 21, the day he turned 27. He ended the week in tied-eighth place, the best ever by an Indian at the Open. That also sealed his spot for 2024. This year, the final round will be played on July 21 and nothing would please the Sharma family more than another fine result. They are already here in full numbers with his father, mother and sister in attendance.
Two weeks from now, he will play at his first Olympics in Paris. Sharma took a day off on Monday after coming from the Scottish Open. On the final day, he shot 5-under 65 with nine birdies, one bogey and a triple on the 18th.
Yet, Sharma said, "That was a very important round for me before The Open. I made six birdies and finished even-par in the third round on Saturday, and I went into the Sunday round thinking I needed to just get my tempo and rhythm. The triple-bogey finish was disappointing for about 20 minutes, but I saw the positive part of it. I made 15 birdies over the weekend and that just shows I am playing good golf."
On taking a day off, he added, "You do learn a few things when you have been on the Tour for 12 years now. The thing is, I have a very good idea of the golf course.
"I came here in May and played three very good practice rounds alongside my coach Jessie Grewal. We did a lot of work back then, just a s we did before last year's Open, and it was very beneficial for me."
As for inspiration, he also met Tom Watson, a five-time Open winner, at a sponsors' clinic.
While Sharma is the lone Indian in the field, there will be three others who have a 'bit of India' in them and all of them are in the Top-50 of the world. They are Indian-Americans Sahith Theegala, now world No. 11 and Akshay Bhatia, world No. 26, whose parents came from over India to the US. Then there is England's Aaron Rai, whose grandparents were born in India, and his parents moved to Kenya and then England.
Since the last Open, it has been a bitter-sweet year for Sharma. He has twice been T-7 - at the Irish Open and the Singapore Classic - and a little over two weeks ago he was tied fifth at the Italian Open, where he had a great chance to win. Sharma tees off with Italian Mateo Manassero and Swede Sebastian Soderberg at 8.14 am on Thursday.
Sharma, who considers Anirban Lahiri as 'a mentor' of sorts, admitted he was 'gutted' to see Lahiri miss a three-footer on the 18th on the final day of the Liv Andalucia in Spain. "It was devastating to see it, so imagine what it must be for him, but he is very strong mentally and will bounce back soon."