Connor Syme and Shubhankar Sharma (inset). Pic: European Tour
Sotogrande, Spain, Sep 3: Shubhankar Sharma’s rough run continued amidst brutal weather conditions on the first day of the Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters where only five golfers broke par on first day.
Sharma shot 10-over 81 with five bogeys, a double bogey and a triple bogey in one of his worst rounds of the year. He was tied 117th and the cut looks likely around four or five over at one of the toughest courses in Europe which also faced blustery conditions and firm greens.
Connor Syme finished his opening round with a flourish to share the early clubhouse lead on two under par 69 finishing his round with three birdies in a row from the 16th hole.
He was joined on that number by Spaniard Jorge Campillo, Guido Migliozzi of Italy and American John Catlin.
Spain’s Pep Angles sits one stroke back on one under par while six golfers share sixth place with 71, including last week’s ISPS Handa UK winner Rasmus Højgaard.
The run in 2020 has been Sharma’s worst in his young career, as he has missed eight cuts in 10 starts outside India. The two cuts produced finishes of T-59 in Abu Dhabi and T63 in Celtic Classic. Yet Sharma has maintained that he has played decently but has not been able score well enough.
For Scotsman Syme, it was a tale of two nines, who turned in 37 after sandwiching the only birdie of his front nine between a double bogey and a bogey, before firing birdies at the 12th, 16th, 17th and 18th to sign for a 69.
Spaniard Campillo had co-led for much of the morning after making three birdies and no bogeys on the front nine. He dropped his first shot of the day at the 13th but bounced back with a long putt for birdie on the 14th before narrowly missing his ambitious birdie try from 55 feet at the next. He found the water on the long 17th and narrowly missed his par putt to return to two under and saved a fine par on 18th.
Like Syme, Campillo also came into this week with top ten finishes in his last two events and he is happy with how he is playing.
