Rising star Shubhankar Sharma presented himself a birthday gift by becoming the youngest Indian golfer to make the cut in any Major but Anirban Lahiri failed to progress at The 147th Open Championships here.
Hanging by a thread till the final putt on the 18th, Sharma capped a wonderful back nine to snatch a birdie and make the halfway cut, a day before his 22nd birthday.
Playing on a wet and cold day, Sharma warmed the hearts of the Indian fans at the Carnoustie Golf Links with four birdies against one bogey on the tougher back nine to climb out of a hole at 5-over through 27 holes.
With rounds of 73-71 he is now 2-over 144 and sure to be inside at the cut line. He was lying tied 53 and is likely to move up a few more positions.
Lahiri ended a very disappointing week with just one birdie in 36 holes as he added 74 to his first 76 and finished 8-over to exit early.
Before leaving he wished Sharma luck, saying, "It is always a big moment when you play the weekend at the Major for the first time. He has gone through a tough time recently and I am sure he will do well. This is a great birthday present for him."
"I have never played in such wet and cold conditions, changing towels and gloves so often."
"My caddie Vicky said it was from the left and I said no way and felt it was straight. I could not think much as we were on the clock and I just hit straight and it dropped. It was sweet as it dropped but before that it was nerve-wracking."
"I am sure my friends will be calling and congratulating. Making the cut at the Major, which has always been my 'dream'. Major is the best present I could have got. But I still have two more rounds to play, if I make the cut."
Typical of him, Sharma was not getting ahead of himself as he added, "I hope I get in first (at 2-over). Hopefully I will make the cut. It is my favourite Major and I have always wanted to play at an Open."
Asked to recall the first time he saw an Open, he said, "The first time was probably 2003 or 2004, but even though I was playing golf even before that, I didn't know how big the tournament was because no one in my family knew much about golf."
He went on, "The first Open I can recall vividly is the 2006 edition in Liverpool when Tiger (Woods) won. It was something like here and it was all about players using irons."