Shubhankar Sharma

Shubhankar Sharma was tied for fourth at the halfway stage at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and, by finishing joint-eighth, guaranteed himself a fourth Open Championship appearance at Royal Troon.

In 2017, he shot a second round 61 and went on to capture the co-sanctioned Joburg Open by three, only his 10th event on the DP World Tour.

As part of The Open Qualifying Series, his success sealed a spot at Carnoustie the following July and he celebrated his 22nd birthday in Open week.

The victory in South Africa was followed by another at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia – that was achieved with a closing 62 – to send him racing into the world’s top 100 only three months after he was not even in the leading 500.

It also brought a World Golf Championships debut in Mexico, where he really put himself on the global map by leading after the second and third rounds before slipping to joint ninth.

A special invitation to The Masters came soon afterwards and he ended the season as DP World Tour Rookie of the Year and Asian Tour Order of Merit winner. Turned professional at 17 and in 2016 kept his Asian Tour card when a closing 62 gave him a fourth place finish in Manila.