Shubhankar Sharma (second from left) receives his trophy and cheque from Dr. N.R.N. Reddy, president & CEO TGolf Alliance and O&M Partner Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club (centre) and Madhusudhan Rao, CFO & business head Emaar Properties, Hyderabad (second from right). Image courtesy DP World PGTI.
By Rahul Banerji
Shubhankar Sharma claimed his seventh DP World PGTI title at the inaugural Rs 1 crore Boulders Classic at Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club in Hyderabad on Friday.
The 29-year-old from Chandigarh dominated the week, finishing on a record 25 under par 263 (66-66-64-67), eight shots clear of the field, the DP World PGTI said.
Shubhankar’s winning total, built around a closing 5 under 67, set a new benchmark for the lowest aggregate score on the domestic tour.
The victory earned Shubhankar Rs 15 lakh and marked his first win on the tour since the McLeod Russel Tour Championship in Kolkata in December 2017.
It was also his first professional title worldwide in over eight years, dating back to his triumph at the Maybank Championship, a co-sanctioned event on the DP World Tour and Asian Tour in February 2018.
Sharma’s winning total eclipsed the previous record of 24 under 264, held jointly by Anirban Lahiri (2010), Rashid Khan (2019), Akshay Sharma (2020), and Manu Gandas (2022).
Hyderabad’s Mohd Azhar (67-70-69-65), Delhi’s Rashid Khan (67-70-66-68), and Chandigarh’s Angad Cheema (68-69-66-68) shared second place on 17 under 271.
Chandigarh’s Ajeetesh Sandhu (68-68-68-68), a five-time winner on the tour, was fifth on 16 under 272.
Late charge
Gandas (70-68-75-64) produced a late surge to finish tied for ninth on 11 under 277 after equalling the course record with a blistering final round. It took the 2022 DP World PGTI Ranking winner up 21 places and into the top 10.
The week saw the course record repeatedly challenged and reset.
Vishesh Sharma set the early pace with a 7 under 65 in the opening round, before Honey Baisoya raised the bar with an 8 under 64 in round two.
Shubhankar matched that effort in round three, and Gandas capped it off by equalling the mark again on the final day.
Shubhankar started his final round with a seven-shot lead on 20-under and closed with a 5 under 67, featuring six birdies and a lone bogey.
Reflecting on his round, Sharma said, “I stuck to my game plan throughout. Even when I dropped a shot, I bounced back quickly and kept attacking. My process and mindset were solid all week.”
He remained focused despite the comfortable lead, adding, “Even with the lead, I didn’t think about easing off. Golf can change quickly, so I kept pushing and gave myself a target for the day.”
Best effort
Shubhankar also highlighted a key early moment that set the tone for his round. “The chip-in on the second was probably my best shot of the day.
“It was from around 30 yards and just trickled in — that gave me a nice early boost.”
Speaking about his return to the tour, he said, “Coming back feels very comforting. The week went by smoothly and I’m happy to be playing the way I believe I can.”
He also had words of praise for the Boulder Hills course, adding, “It’s a very good course with a lot of potential.
“The greens were on the softer side this week, which made it more of a scoring layout, but it can play much tougher with firmer conditions.”
Khalin Joshi (73-69-69-67), a winner last week in Visakhapatnam, finished tied 12th on 10 under 278.
DP World PGTI Order of Merit leader Saptak Talwar (68-71-66-73), a winner on the tour last month, joined Joshi in tied 12th. Talwar earned Rs 1,71,700 to extend his lead atop the rankings with earnings of Rs 77.51 lakh.
Yuvraj Sandhu (73-68-73-67), one of the pre-tournament favourites, and 2025 DP World PGTI Order of Merit champion, finished tied 18th on 7 under 281.
The tour now moves to Manesar in Haryana for the Rs 1 crore DP World Players Championship at the Classic Golf & Country Club from April 21 to 24.
Also read: Shubhankar dons the skates on Moving Day at Boulders Classic
Related
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.