Omega European Masters: Shubhankar Sharma Holds On in the Top‑10 at the Half‑Way Mark

It was a breezy afternoon at the Crans‑sur‑Sierre Golf Club when Shubhankar Sharma, 30, teed off for his second round of the Omega European Masters. He stumbled a bit toward the end – three bogeys in the last six holes – but somehow managed to finish with a 2‑under 68, keeping him inside the coveted top‑10.

That 68, paired with an opening 64, puts Sharma at 8‑under overall, tied for eighth place with two rounds still to play. He smiled after the round, admitting, “I’d have liked a cleaner finish, but the front‑nine birdies kept the pressure off.”

On the other side of the leaderboard, South Africa’s defending champion Thriston Lawrence delivered a scorching 63, vaulting two strokes clear of the field. The 29‑year‑old rattled off seven birdies, including a streak of six consecutive ones around the turn, to reach 13‑under after 36 holes. “The mountain course feels like home when you’re in the zone,” Lawrence said, chuckling after holing a bunker shot on the fifth.

Not everyone was as lucky. India’s Yuvraj Sandhu produced a remarkable 5‑under 65 in the second round – a dramatic 12‑stroke bounce from his 77 on day one – yet it wasn’t enough to make the cut. He shrugged it off, noting, “I’ll take the experience; the next tournament will be better.”

Behind Lawrence, a familiar pack of challengers emerged. Spain’s Nacho Elvira matched his best round in three years with a 62, tying for second with Germany’s Jeremy Paul. Japan’s Keita Nakajima went bogey‑free for a 63, slotting into fourth place, while Rafa Cabrera Bello, borrowing clubs that once belonged to Adam Scott, shared fifth with China’s Ashun Wu and England’s Paul Casey.

For Sharma, every tournament now feels like a stepping stone. He’s perched at 179th in the world rankings and is desperate to break into the top 100 before the season ends, a move that would secure his DP World Tour card for 2027. “It’s a grind, but I love it,” he confessed, eyes already on the next round.