Subhankar Sharma's love for the Open is the worst-kept secret. As an ardent fan of golf, right from his school days in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, he would keenly follow the action at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club.
However, the first time he appeared at the Open in 2018, it was raining heavily and the golfer found himself reeling outside the cut at five-over, with just six holes to play. But a persistent Sharma produced three birdies to make the cut in Carnoustie.
Cut to 2023 and little has changed. It was a windy day at the course and the swing had to be precise and immaculate. But Sharma remained undeterred and scored 71, despite a double bogey on the 17th, to rise to T3.
However, a few things did change in the five years, albeit for the better. From a rookie in Europe to emerging as a major challenger the 27-year-old has grown both in the "game and life".
“My career is developing well; it is my 10th season as a professional. It is a process of learning; golf teaches you about the game and life,” admitted Sharma.
However, Sharma knows that only half the battle is won and the next two days will be crucial.
"I'm very happy. In fact, I was seeing the scores, and when I teed off the first two, three holes, I saw the wind was definitely a lot more than what we played yesterday. I told myself a level-par round would not be a bad round today.
"Obviously I didn't want that 17 thing to happen and finish level par like that, but if I look at it as a whole, I'm quite happy. Level par is good. Still in it. Still two more good days to go hopefully, and I'll be good. Until the time it's the back nine on Sunday, your position really doesn't matter. I'm happy that I'm in and around the top ten mark. Now it's just how I play the next two days, and we'll see," he stated.
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Who is Subhankar Sharma?
Sharma took to golf at the tender age of seven. His mother's obstetrician was Tushar Lahiri, the father of Indian golf pro Anirban Lahiri, and it was Lahiri who encouraged him to take up the sport.
"He started at seven and hasn’t put the club down after that, he got hooked and married to the game, his temperament is in sync, he’s calm, composed, humble and down to earth, and thinks golf is bigger than him, therefore he is always improving,” he father Mohan Lal Sharma, an army colonel, told Golf News.
Subhankar Sharma's golf career
At the age of 16, he turned pro and since then he has steadily climbed the ladder. He was awarded the 2018 Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year after he bagged the title at the Johannesburg Open and won the Maybank Championship. His win in South Africa, as a 21-year-old, made him the youngest Indian golfer to ever a European Tour. Whereas, the win at the Maybank Championship propelled him to the top-100 for the first time.
Sharma idolises Phil Mickelson and when he went to introduce himself at the WGC-Mexico Championship in 2018 he was brushed aside by the golfer, mistaking him as a media person.
"Not right now, after the round," was the stern answer.
However, Mickelson later apologised after he realised his mistake.
In the same event, he was leading after the second and third rounds but lost his way with a final round 74 to finish in ninth place.
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What is Subhankar Sharma's diet and favourite food?
Sharma is a strict vegetarian.
"I've never eaten meat in my life," he told to Golf Digest.
"My whole family is vegetarian. It's a religious choice. I definitely struggled in my first year on tour, trying to figure out the travel with my diet. Not all the places we go understand. I'll say, 'I don't eat chicken or meat,' but I'll still get a plate of food with meat in it. But the European Tour has been great in helping me get the food that I need. I've also gotten smarter about it. I travel with pre-prepared vegetarian meals, so if I find myself in a situation where I don't have any vegetarian options, I can just pop one of them in the microwave and I'm all set."
Sharma is even allergic to gluten and loves to eat rajma-chawal (Rajma and Rice) and broccoli.
"I eat as much broccoli as I can get my hands on. I munch on dried fruits all day. Bananas are great, and energy bars are high in protein," he revealed.
What is Subhankar Sharma's career record?
| Current Rank | 95 |
| Tournaments Played | 144 |
| DP World Tour Wins | 2 |
| Career prize money won | €3,861,112.81 |