Shubhankar Sharma may not have won the Hero Indian Open, but he can go home tonight proud of his achievements. Coming straight from Mexico, on the other side of the world, he managed to hold his own for three days, but was not being able to close it. Yet he came out with flying colours and finished tied seventh.
Wins at Joburg and Kuala Lumpur followed by a top-10 in Mexico and now India, it has been a terrific ride for Shubhankar. He now needs a little rest before WGC Match Play and the Masters. It has been a great run and I am sure he will build on it.
Some people might say it was pressure on the final day, but I feel he did get some momentum with birdies on second and fourth but those two doubles on the front nine took the sail out of him. A third double bogey on the back nine 15th virtually ended hopes of his challenge for a title.
Hats off to Matt Wallace for a brilliant weekend. He first announced his challenge on Saturday with a 70 on a difficult day and on Sunday, he was in command almost all the way. He did allow Andrew Johnston to get a peek when he dropped a bogey on 16th. Johnston, himself trying to add another European Tour title, was fabulous with his error-free 66 but Wallace held on in the play-off. That willingness to play for a birdie on 18th paid rich dividends.
One cannot help feeling for Emiliano Grillo, who had two great days on Thursday and Friday but then came a cropper on the weekend. I am sure he knows as well as anyone playing this game at the highest level, that golf tournaments are never won over two days — it is how you perform over four days that counts. Wa-llace paced himself well and stayed on the right path.
