The
European Tour’s only multiple winner of the 2018 season, Shubhankar
Sharma, will join the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters defending champion
Jeunghun Wang in the field when a host of rising stars play the 21st
edition of the historic event, from February 22-25.
Sharma is
currently sitting pretty as the European Tour’s number one player after
winning twice in just six appearances this season, and only 13 career
appearances on the tour.
His first came at the Joburg Open in
December, when he stormed to a three-shot victory thanks in part to a
stunning second round 61, before he confirmed his status as one of the
tour’s most exciting prospects by winning the Maybank Championship in
swashbuckling style as he signed for a final round 62 to finish two
strokes clear.
That victory moved the 21-year-old to the top of the
year-long points list for the 2018 European Tour season, ahead of Tommy
Fleetwood, and the Indian is looking forward to making his debut in
Qatar next week.
“I watched Jeunghun Wang last year on the television
and that was really nice to see,” said Sharma. “I know it’s very windy
and it looks challenging but I think I will really enjoy it there.
“Obviously I’m playing well at the moment and I will be hoping for another good week at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters.”
Wang,
meanwhile, will make the short trip from Oman following this week’s NBO
Oman Open, to return to the scene of a dramatic triumph last year,
claiming a third career title after overcoming Swede Joakim Lagergren
and Jaco Van Zyl of South Africa courtesy of a birdie at the first
play-off hole.
“It feels really good to be going back to the
Commercial Bank Qatar Masters as the defending champion. Oman is
obviously here in the same region and I like being here, there’s always
good weather, nice courses and nice views. I’m very excited to be going
back there though,” Wang said.
“I don’t remember a lot from last year
because all I was thinking about was winning, but it was a really good
experience for me, an unforgettable one.
“I’m hitting the ball really
well right now, I’m driving well, my irons are good but my putting is
not great in the last couple of weeks. If I put well maybe I can give
myself a chance to win again.”
A strong field of golfing heroes will
once again assemble at Doha Golf Club for the event, which boasts a
star-studded list of former winners including the 1999 Open champion
Paul Lawrie, who has twice triumphed in the Qatari capital.
The 2016
Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke plays the event for the seventh time but
for the first time since 2011, when he finished in a share of 12th
place before later that season lifting the Claret Jug courtesy of a
dominant display at Royal St George’s.
The Northern Irishman played
in the inaugural edition of the event back in 1998, when he claimed his
best finish to date thanks to a tied ninth finish as Andrew Coltart
earned his maiden European Tour victory.
The 2018 Ryder Cup captain
Thomas Bjorn, meanwhile, will land in Qatar confident of a strong
performance on a course upon which he has played 13 times, and claimed
victory in 2011.
The great Dane has made the weekend in ten of those
13 appearances, with two top ten finishes to add to his win seven years
ago. He has been playing his way back into form early in the 2018
campaign with ten of his 13 rounds thus far this season under par, six
of them sub-70.
Sharma and Wang lead rising stars at Qatar Masters