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European Tour: Shubhankar Sharma, 21, wins Joburg Open

By Mike Randleman

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 11: Shubankar Sharma of India with the trophy during the completion of the final round of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club on December 11, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images)
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 11: Shubankar Sharma of India with the trophy during the completion of the final round of the Joburg Open at Randpark Golf Club on December 11, 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Luke Walker/Getty Images) /
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Shubhankar Sharma turned a 54-hole lead into a Monday victory at the Joburg Open

First, Shubhankar Sharma, 21, had to sleep on a 54-hole lead. Then, before making the turn on Sunday, he had to wait out a weather delay with a three-shot lead. Finally, he had to sleep on the lead again. So much time for nerves to accumulate, but the young Indian kept his cool to breeze to a three-shot victory at 23-under-par total.

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He birdied the ninth and posted all pars from there as South Africa’s Erik Van Rooyen was the only other to reach 20-under or better. Sharma, a five-time winner on the Professional Golf Tour of India, was spectacular all week with no bogeys in the final three rounds.

"“It feels absolutely wonderful to have won this week. I actually wasn’t going to come here about a week ago and I decided to come so I’m really happy that I came. This is my first time in South Africa and I don’t think I’m ever going forget my first time in South Africa,” Sharma was quoted by the European Tour."

Sharma used a deft putting stroke to finish second in the field in putts per green in regulation (1.593) and putts per round (25.7). He also hit 72.2 percent of GIR and drove it over 300 yards. Not too shabby.

His 23-under total tied Charl Schwartzel in 2010 for the second lowest 72-hole score in relation to par in the tournament’s 12-year history.

Sharma’s previous highest finish in a European Tour co-sanctioned event (this week was co-sanctioned between the Asian, Sunshine and European Tours) was a T9 at February’s Maybank Championship.

The win moved him from 462nd in the world to 226 and netted him €195,830 or roughly $230.7 thousand USD.

Open season

More was on the line at Randpark Golf Club in Johannesburg than just a championship. The top three finishers not already qualified earned an exemption into the 2018 Open Championship. Van Rooyen comfortably claimed the second spot three ahead of a tie for third.

Van Rooyen notched his best finish on the European Tour thanks to hitting 90.2 percent of GIR to lead the field. With wins on the Sunshine and Challenge Tours, keep an eye out for more to come from the 27-year-old.

The third spot went down to the wire between South Africa’s Shaun Norris and Finland’s Tapio Pulkkanen. Norris tied for 62nd at last year’s Open, while Pulkkanen, the defending Road to Oman winner on the Challenge Tour, was vying for his major berth from just his sixth European Tour start.

Norris played ahead of Pulkkanen and made four birdies in his last six holes to cap a bogey-free seven-under 65. Pulkkanen birdied Nos. 14-16 and finished tied with Norris at 17-under. Norris, ranked No. 192 entering the week, earned the narrow tiebreaker to head to Carnoustie over Pulkkanen ranked No. 197.

It was an impressive run of golf for those two playing in the tournament within the tournament, and more chances will come in The Open Qualifying Series for Pulkkanen.

Chip shots

  • Headliner and South African Louis Oosthuizen was forced to withdraw pre-tournament when he jammed fingers on his left hand between two airport trollies. The injury doesn’t appear too serious, but “King Louis” wasn’t able to give it a go in his home country.
  • Sweden’s Christofer Blomstrand posted the low round of the tournament with a 62 on Friday at the Bushwillow course, one of two alternated in the first two rounds. The best score at the tougher Firethorn, site of the weekend’s play, was a 64 by Pulkkanen and Charlie Ford.
  • Malaysia’s Gavin Green clinched the Asian Tour Order of Merit with a T19 finish this week.
  • How past champions in the field fared — Darren Fichardt (Feb. 2017): MC, Haydn Porteous (2016): T49, George Coetzee (2014): T30, Anders Hansen (2009): MC
  • The European Tour is off until Jan. 11-14 for the BMW SA Open in Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa as well as the EurAsia Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Jan. 12-14.

Next: Stricker, O'Hair return to winner's circle at QBE Shootout

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