Shubhankar Sharma birdies last four holes to sit T3 in Bahrain

Shubhankar Sharma produced a stunning finish in Bahrain, birdieing his last four holes to open with a six-under 66 and share third place after the first round of the Bapco Energies Bahrain Championship at Royal Golf Club.

The Indian was just one shot behind early leaders Alejandro del Rey of Spain and Germany’s Alexander Schott, who both carded bogey-free seven-under 65s.

Yuvraj Sandhu, India’s other representative in the field, began with a two-under 70 to sit tied 31st, while Patrick Reed signed for a one-under 71 and was tied 59th.

For Sharma, the round was an encouraging step early in the 2026 season. The two-time DP World Tour winner regained his card through Qualifying School after losing it at the end of 2025, but began the year with a missed cut in Dubai.

Starting from the 10th tee, Sharma picked up birdies on the 12th and 14th before a lone bogey on the 15th. He responded immediately with a birdie on the 16th to turn at two-under.

After a steady start on the front nine, Sharma caught fire late, rolling in four straight birdies from the sixth through the ninth to surge up the leaderboard.

Sandhu also made a positive start despite a mixed inward nine, recovering from early setbacks to post a solid opening round.

Del Rey was flawless throughout with seven birdies, while Schott surged early and held on to remain tied for the lead.

Photo – DPWT