Shubhankar Sharma Fires 66 to Sit Third After Round 1 of Bahrain Championship

Bahrain, Jan 29: Shubhankar Sharma signalled a strong start to his Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship campaign with a superb closing stretch, firing four birdies in his last four holes to post a 6-under 66 and move into a share of third place after the opening round at the Royal Golf Club.

The Indian finished just one shot behind overnight leaders Alejandro del Rey of Spain and Germany's Alexander Schott, both of whom returned bogey-free 7-under 65s.

Yuvraj Sandhu, India's other representative in the field, also opened positively with a 2-under 70 to sit tied 31st, while Patrick Reed, fresh from his victory at last week's Hero Dubai Desert Classic and having recently announced his departure from LIV Golf, signed for a 1-under 71 and was tied 59th.

For Sharma, the round marked a welcome sign of momentum early in the 2026 season. The two-time DP World Tour winner, who lost his card at the end of 2025, earned his way back by finishing tied second at Qualifying School.

His season opener in Dubai ended in disappointment with a missed cut, as did Sandhu's, despite the latter having secured his card by topping the PGTI Order of Merit in India.

Starting from the 10th tee, Sharma settled into his round with birdies on the 12th and 14th holes before a lone bogey on the 15th. He responded immediately with a birdie on the 16th to make the turn at 2-under par.

The front nine proved decisive. After steady pars over the first five holes, Sharma caught fire on the greens, rolling in birdies on the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth holes. The putter was particularly hot, with birdies converted from 17 feet on the sixth, 14 feet on the seventh and from around seven feet on both the eighth and ninth to cap a flawless finish.

Sandhu, also starting on the back nine, made an early birdie on the 10th but dropped a shot at the 11th. He regained momentum with three consecutive birdies from the 15th through the 17th to turn at 3-under. On his inward nine, a birdie at the third was offset by bogeys at the sixth and eighth, leaving him with a solid opening 70.

At the top of the leaderboard, Del Rey was clinical throughout, producing a bogey-free round of seven birdies. Schott, meanwhile, surged early with six birdies in his first seven holes from the 10th and later mixed birdies and an eagle with a bogey and a double bogey, but still finished the day at 65.