It’s been quite a year for Indian golfer Shubhankar Sharma.
Not long ago he was watching European Tour events on TV, dreaming that one day he could play in them himself.
Over the past 12 months, that dream has been realized – and more.
The high point came during the WGC Mexico Championship when Sharma, only 21 at the time, led a star-studded field through 54 holes before falling back on the final day.
“Things were very different after that when I got back to India,” Sharma, a two-time winner on the European Tour, tells CNN Living Golf.
“I played the Indian Open and so many people came and watched, especially on the last day when I was leading. I never imagined that there’d be so many people who would come and support me.
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“So many of my friends flew in just to watch me play. Definitely, it was a life-changer, even when I went back to America. So many kids were coming up to me – they knew me.”
Sharma, who is bidding to become his country’s first major winner after making his Masters debut this year, had his first taste of links golf at the Irish and Scottish Opens in July before taking on Carnoustie at the Open Championship.
“To be actually playing in these events is nothing short of a dream come true for me,” he says.
“I always wanted to play on the European Tour, just the way the courses are, the variety of the courses, the players. I always loved links golf even though I’d never played it until the Irish Open.”
CNN Living Golf host Shane O’Donoghue caught up with Sharma at the Scottish Open when he had the chance to caddy for India’s brightest golfing talent.
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Find out how he got on in the video at the top of the page.
