Sharma takes halfway lead at WGC in Mexico

Shubhankar Sharma's remarkable rise has continued to gather pace at the WGC-Mexico Championship as he claimed a two-shot halfway lead at Chapultepec Golf Club.

India's Shubhankar Sharma tees off.

In his first WGC event, Shubhankar Sharma holds a two-shot lead at the WGC-Mexico Championship. (AAP)

India's Shubhankar Sharma has upstaged the biggest names in golf by eagling the first hole on the way a two-shot halfway lead at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

In his first appearance in a World Golf Championships event, the 21-year-old added a five-under-par 66 to his opening-round 65 to finish at 11 under for the tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.

The Spanish duo of Sergio Garcia (65) and Rafa Cabrera Bello (67) were in a share of second on Friday, with American Xander Schauffele (68) on nine under.

First-round leader Louis Oosthuizen (71) backtracked to fall four shots off the pace in a large group also including defending champion Dustin Johnson (66).

Adam Bland and Mark Leishman the highest-placed Australians at five under after two rounds.

Sharma entered the week already ranked first on the European Tour after two early-season victories, in South Africa and Malaysia.

"I'm really happy," Sharma said in quotes reported on the European Tour website.

"I couldn't be in a better situation.

"I played so well and the bogeys that I made today were just three-putts. Otherwise I just get the ball in play all day and it was great to finish with three birdies in a row.

"I thought about nothing, I just wanted to have fun. It's my first WGC and I was happy that I'll play four days because I missed the cut in the last two events that I played. Even though I missed the cuts, I knew I was playing well. So I just wanted to have fun, and yeah, I've had a lot of fun."


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Source: AAP



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