After becoming the first ever Indian golfer to win the Joburg Open in early December, many people are tipping Shubhankar Sharma for a breakthrough year at the top level, with a ticket to the acclaimed British Open Championship in 2018 also in his hands after winning his maiden European Tour title in South Africa.
The 21-year-old secured a three-stroke win over the homegrown tournament favourite, Erik van Rooyen, in stormy conditions in South Africa, but 2018 will be the biggest test of the Indian youngster’s credentials.
Indeed, if Shubhankar Sharma were to win the British Open at Carnoustie in 2018, he would become the youngest player to do so in the “modern era” (i.e. post-1900), breaking Seve Ballesteros’ record of 22 years, 3 months and 12 days when he won the 1979 Open Championship.

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Spaniard Jon Rahm was one of the breakout players on the PGA Tour during the 2016/17 campaign as the big-hitting golfer, who has one of the best golf swings in the sport, rose all the way up to number four in the world rankings. In what was a consistent year for the 23-year-old, the highlight was his victory in the Famers Insurance Open back in January at Torrey Pines, where he was successful by three strokes with a clubhouse score of -13.

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