Shubhankar Sharma finishes T-9, records second Top-10 of 2021 season

Sports PTI 16/08/2021

India's Shubhankar Sharma got off to a flying start with four birdies in the first seven holes in the last round to finish a creditable tied ninth, only his second top-10 outing of the year, at the Cazoo Classic golf tournament here.

Shubhankar Sharma finishes T-9, records second Top-10 of 2021 season(Keshav Singh/Hindustan Times)

Sharma then ran out of birdies and instead dropped a shot on par-4 13th when he went into water but finished with a final birdie for four-under 68. He birdied the first, fourth, fifth seventh and 18th holes.

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Sharma registered a total of 11-under and recorded his best finish since his T-8 at Made in Himmerland in Denmark in May.

Four other Indians Gaganjeet Bhullar, SSP Chawrasia, Shiv Kapur and Ajeetesh Sandhu missed the cut.

Sharma, who has been having a modest season with a fair amount of cuts, has been getting a lot of birdies, but has also been giving away a lot of shots, often double bogeys.

This week he had 15 birdies on the front nine alone and nine more on the back nine, but he also gave away four bogeys each on the first and second days. On the third day he bogeyed once and double bogeyed once and on the final day there was just one bogey.

"I feel my game is coming back and this week was a good feel,' said Sharma.

Scotsman Calum Hill, 26, claimed his maiden European Tour title with a nerveless performance down the stretch, carding a five-under final round 67. It meant back-to-back Scottish winners on the Race to Dubai.

The 26-year-old had missed out on an opportunity of a first victory at last week's Hero Open, losing out to his compatriot Grant Forrest.

Hill was one stroke off the pace entering round four and was two shots back as he reached the turn, but birdies at the 10th, 13th and 15th edged him clear of the pack on 16-under.

Alexander Levy, who stormed through with an 8-under 64 to set a 15-under par clubhouse target, ended second, which was his best finish since April 2018 when he won the Trophée Hassan II.

Richard Bland continued his impressive summer as he shared third place with his English compatriot Callum Shinkwin, Welshman Jamie Donaldson, and third round leader Rasmus Højgaard of Denmark. 

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