Sentosa, Singapore, February 13: Another week, another top-10 and more ringing endorsements for talented Indian prospect Shubhankar Sharma.

Only 20, Shubhankar continued to make others sit up and take notice of his prodigious talents following a tied ninth outing at the just-concluded US$3 million Maybank Championship in Malaysia.

A third straight top-10 of the year, which proceeded a tied 11th finish in the season-opening leg in Singapore, has now pushed him up to fifth place on the latest Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with US$102,756, locking up his card nice and early for next year.

Countryman Anirban Lahiri, who played alongside Sharma on Sunday, is convinced India and Asia have unearthed another top golfer capable of winning tournaments anywhere around the world.

“It was fantastic playing with Shubhankar. I’ve watched him go through the ranks over the last few years with flying colours,” said Lahiri, who finished tied seventh, one shot ahead of his younger compatriot in Malaysia.

“To see him play as consistently and as tenaciously, today (Sunday) was an example of that. He didn’t get off to a good start but he came back strong (with three closing birdies). It’s really a good sign for Indian golf to see him and Chikkaranggapa S. coming up.

“I don’t think I’m the old generation yet – I’ve yet to hit 30 – but to see the next generation coming up and playing well is just fantastic,” added the 2015 Asian Tour number one, whose ties with Sharma goes beyond golf as Lahiri’s father helped deliver Sharma’s younger sister some years ago.

Sharma’s name first came to light when he finished fourth as a 17-year-old at the Panasonic Open India in 2014, a result he repeated in the following year. Last season, his game continued to blossom with a third place finish in Bangladesh and an equal fourth in the Philippines, highlighted by a stunning closing round of 10-under-par 62, sealing his full playing rights for 2017.

Sharma believes he is slowly finding his feet in the professional game. He said: “I’ve got more confidence than the last few years. It’s starting to feel like I belong here and I’m starting to play better. I’m making a lot of birdies which is the best part. I’m dropping a lot of shots but I’m telling myself and backing myself that I can make birdies.

“I played for the first time in a competition with Anirban so that was great. Even though I dropped a few shots, he kept telling me to keep playing the way I am. It’s great to play with someone who’s a great inspiration to a lot of us. It was a great way to finish my tournament.''       

   
    Shubhankar Sharma(left) and Anirbhan Lahiri (right) at the Maybank Golf Championship 2017, Singapore
 

“To see him play as consistently and as tenaciously, today (Sunday) was an example of that. He didn’t get off to a good start but he came back strong (with three closing birdies). It’s really a good sign for Indian golf to see him and Chikkaranggapa S. coming up.” – Anirban Lahiri on Shubhankar Sharma. 

Four events into the new Asian Tour season, Sharma has shot the most number of birdies with 77, averaging 4.81 birdies per round. He knows though he must cut down on the bogeys if he is to come through for a first Asian Tour victory.

“I need to drop fewer shots. I made a few mental errors. Today on 10, I hit a bad second shot from the middle of the fairway and made double bogey which you can’t really do. That’s one thing I have to work on. Other than that, I’m in a good mental frame of mind,” he said.

India’s Arjun Atwal, a former Asian Tour number one, believes Sharma will go on to establish himself. “This kid is definitely the real deal…” Atwal tweeted on Sunday.