Hyderabad victory took me back in time: Shubhankar Sharma

Chandigarh: By the time Shubhankar Sharma walked down the final stretch at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club in Hyderabad, the victory meant far more than just another trophy. It was a relief and nostalgia. And perhaps most importantly, it was a reminder of why he fell in love with golf in the first place.Hyderabad victory took me back in time: Shubhankar SharmaBy the time Shubhankar Sharma walked down the final stretch at the Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club in Hyderabad, the victory meant far more than just another trophy.

It was relief, hope and nostalgia. Sharma needed this win not just for validation but for purpose.After nearly four years away from India’s domestic circuit, he returned to the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) earlier this season and clinched the Boulder’s Classic title in Hyderabad, a win he describes as emotional after years of near misses and struggles.“I hadn’t won in a long time,” Sharma says. “In golf, wins are few and far between.

Sometimes, you’re trying your best and missing out by one or two shots. That happened to me many times in the last seven or eight years,” he says.The emotional high in Hyderabad came after what Sharma calls one of the toughest phases of his career. The DP World Tour of last season was riddled with inconsistencies, missed cuts and technical issues.“Golf is such a technical sport that one small issue can create many compounded problems.

Last year felt like I was constantly searching,” he said.By the end of the season, however, Sharma finally found a set-up that worked. This culminated in a strong performance at the gruelling European Tour Qualifying School.He compares Q-School to “a job interview with 1,000 applicants and only 20 selections.”“If you don’t make it, you’re basically back home,” he said. Yet Sharma delivered when it mattered most.The mental battle nobody seesMore than swing mechanics or putting statistics, Sharma relies on mindset. In golf, confidence is fragile.“There are times when things don’t go your way for months. That can affect anybody,” he said, underlining the importance of mindfulness.Carrying India’s flagToday, Sharma remains one of only two Indians competing regularly on the DP World Tour.In this, he sees privilege rather than pressure. “I’ve always dreamed of playing against the best players in the world.

To do that under the Indian flag is inspiring.”The 29-year-old believes Indian golf is at a crossroads.While the sport has grown steadily, it still lacks the infrastructure, sponsorship and visibility enjoyed by cricket. “Most sports in India are behind cricket,” he says candidly. “But golf needs a watershed moment.”Indian golf has produced notable names over the years, from Jeev Milkha Singh and Arjun Atwal to Yuvraj Sandhu.

Yet sustained success on global tours remains rare. Sharma believes the reasons are both structural and psychological.“Playing in Europe is expensive and sponsors become very important. But finances alone are not the issue. To sustain yourself abroad, you need that fire inside you,” he says.According to him, India now has more talent than ever before thanks to better coaching, more exposure and easier access to equipment.

“The talent is there,” he says. “Now it’s about sustaining careers.”Building the next generationOne of Sharma’s biggest passions is mentoring young golfers. Many players regularly call him for advice. For Sharma, mentoring is personal because he remembers how confusing teenage years were. “At 12, you think very differently than at 18. I understand those stages because I’ve lived them.”He believes India’s next breakthrough generation will emerge from structured academies that combine coaching, fitness, mental training and exposure to international conditions.The dream: 10 Indians on tourAsk Sharma what success for Indian golf looks like over the next decade, and his answer is immediate. “I want to see 10 Indians on the European Tour,” he says. For him, that would represent real progress, a system producing depth rather than isolated stars.“If there are 10 Indians in a field of 156 players, naturally the chances of winning increase,” he says. And then, perhaps, the watershed moment Indian golf has long waited for may finally arrive.