Shubhankar Sharma is the best-ranked among seven Indians in fray at the star-studded USD 5 million Saudi International Golf Championship starting Thursday. Former world No. 1 and current No 5, Dustin Johnson will be bidding for a hat-trick of Saudi International titles which also includes a bevy of global golfing superstars.
Johnson is joined by a powerful contingent of Americans, including Bryson DeChambeau, Xander Schauffele, Phil Mickelson, Tony Finau, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed.Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell, the winner here in 2020, Spaniard Sergio Garcia, and Englishmen Lee Westwood, Paul Casey, Tommy Fleetwood, and Ian Poulter, are also competing.The event will mark the start of the season on the Asian Tour at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.Apart from Sharma, who was runner-up at the Abu Dhabi Championship on the DP World a fortnight ago, the other Indians include Shiv Kapur, Rashid Khan, Khalin Joshi, Viraj Madappa, S Chikkarangappa and young Veer Ahlawat, who came close to winning his maiden Asian Tour title in Singapore last month as the 2021-22 season wound up.The Asian challenge is led Korea’s 19-year-old star, Kim Joohyung who won the 2021-22 Order of Merit.Kim plays with Johnson and Jason Kokrak in the first round. Over 50 Asian Tour members are competing including six Asian Tour number ones. That includes Sharma, who was Asian Tour No. 1 in 2018.Two-time Major winner Johnson made his first start of the year at the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour and finished at tied 25th.
