Royal Troon: After being battered by the elements in his first two rounds, Shubhankar Sharma managed to exact some revenge on Royal Troon Golf Club.
On Saturday in the third round, played mostly in benign conditions and before the sky opened up just as the leaders were teeing off, Sharma came home in four-under par 67 that greatly improved his position going into the final round after making the cut on the number (6-over).
The conditions for Sharma were in sharp contrast to what he faced the first two days. It rained and blew on Thursday, and on Friday, wind gusts reached almost 50 kilometers an hour. On both days, Sharma’s group, and a few before and after him, had to bear the brunt of the worst weather.
“I made the most of the conditions today. Got off to a hot start and hit it really well. Was kind of struggling with some energy because I was very tired after yesterday. After I finished on 6-over, I should have gone back and slept, but we were all very nervous,” said Sharma, who started the round with back-to-back birdies.
“Today was just about getting my rhythm and being consistent with my processes, and that’s why I got a pretty good round. I’m happy. The back nine is not playing as easy as the last few days because we have an opposite wind. Even downwind, it was not that easy, but it was more gettable the last two days.”
The sun rarely shines over Scotland, and that was again the case on Saturday, but the Indian made hay even in its absence. At least the wind was mild, and Sharma produced a spectacular round of eight birdies. Royal Troon remained a formidable foe, and the only mistake of the day – a tee shot slightly pulled into an unplayable lie in the tall fescue – resulted in a double bogey on the 15th.
However, he responded in spectacular fashion, making a long, 30-feet birdie putt on the 16th hole, before adding another birdie on the 18th following a pinpoint iron shot from 188 yards that left him with a 17-feet putt. He also had a chance on the difficult par-3 17th hole, where his birdie putt from 19 feet shaved the cup after a gorgeous 2-iron tee shot.
The double bogey was deflating, but Sharma took it in his stride.
“I’m not disappointed because of that. We just got a bad ruling there. We were put on the clock after we had a ball search and all that, which was why I was unhappy. I am delighted with my score,” said Sharma who turns 28 on Sunday.
“I didn’t hit the tee shot (on 15th) that bad. One yard right and I would have had a clear shot. It was just in a very bad spot. It is what it is, but I am concentrating on the good things. We made two good birdies coming in, so I’m quite happy.”
Sharma secured his spot this year at The Open because of his eighth-place finish at Royal Liverpool last year, where he played a battling final round in heavy rain and finished without making a single bogey.
“The Royal Troon is 100 percent a much tougher course. I think the last round at Liverpool and here are comparable. Yesterday, the wind was twice as much as it was in Liverpool on the last day, which was decently windy, but very wet. That was a challenge. But yesterday was 30-mile-an-hour gusts, which was a huge challenge.
“I am just happy I knuckled down and played well yesterday for a one-over. It does make the birthday celebrations much better than doing it after a missed cut.”