Golfer Sharma slips but stays in contention for PGA Tour card

India’s Shubhankar Sharma ground it out for an even par 72 that kept him in contention for a PGA Tour card despite dropping from tied third to tied 10th in the second round of the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Sharma shot 72 to get to six-under 138 here on Saturday (August 31). The Indian needs to finish sole sixth or better to lock his PGA Tour card for 2019-20. He is six off the lead, as Chris Baker with 69 moved to 12-under, but Scottie Scheffler, at sixth, is just two ahead of Sharma.

India’s Anirban Lahiri has already locked his PGA Tour card but skipped the Tour Championship to be with his family in Palm Beach where Hurricane Dorian is expected to hit in the coming days.

Baker shot 69 at the Victoria National Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead while Lanto Griffin and Tom Lewis sit two shots off the pace at 10-under 134. The 33-year-old Baker, who turned professional in 2008, is in search of his first PGA TOUR card.

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Sharma, starting from the tenth, had a bogey on 14th, but birdied the 15th to get back on track and turned in an even par. On his second nine he was going fine with back-to-back birdies on second and third, before bogeys on fifth and eighth, his 14th and 17th holes pegged him back. He was not too pleased with his hitting in the second round.

“Today (it) actually wasn’t that good. I wasn’t hitting it as close as I was yesterday. I struggled towards the end of the round where I was 2-under after the fifth hole which was my 14th. And then just made a few bogeys coming in. I’m pretty happy otherwise, I’ve been playing alright. I just need two low ones on the weekend, and well see what happens,” Sharma said.

About his missed cut, he added, “I just tried to put things into perspective. I was just being too hard on myself in the first two events and just wanted to enjoy playing golf. I did that yesterday and had a good day. I think over the next two days I’ll try not to think of the outcome and try and enjoy the process.”

“I definitely feel like I belong here and can play here,” he concluded.