Sharma gets a surprise, plays Pro-Am with cricketer Lara; ready for test at Desert Classic

No sooner had he arrived in Dubai after a week in Abu Dhabi, Shubhankar Sharma had a surprise waiting for him at the Pro-Am of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic here.

The 23-year-old, who was coming to Dubai for his third straight start at the storied event, immediately learnt that he was paired with cricketing legend Brian Lara for the Pro-Am.

"That was a nice surprise and I loved playing with him," said Sharma, who was T-29 with all four rounds below par last year.

"We talked on both cricket and golf, me asking about cricket and him a bit about golf. He plays very well and has a single digit handicap," added Sharma.

"We got along pretty well and decided we would try and catch a round, whenever we could, in India or elsewhere. He sure was very nice and I know how big a name he is in cricket and he is a household name even in India."
Sharma said, "The premium will be hitting the ball straight and in thee fairways. So, you wont see many drivers sure they will be there on some holes, but there will be more of 3-woods."
Bhullar concurred, saying, "You miss the fairways and you could be headed home early. The greens are lot smaller and fairways narrow and the rough is up."