Choppin' Broccoli

Shubhankar Sharma is the rare vegetarian tour pro

- Keely Levins

In the stats-obsessed world of professional golf—where you can find out, say, which players hit the best approach shots from the right rough versus the left rough—there doesn’t seem to be any data on players’ diets. If there were, Shubhankar Sharma would be one of only a few vegetarians.

“I’ve never eaten meat in my life,” says Sharma, 21, who grew up in India. “My whole family is vegetarian. It’s a religious choice.”

It doesn’t seem to be hurting his game. Sharma has won twice on the European Tour since December 2017, and he tied for ninth at the World Golf Championship in Mexico City in March, where he played in the final group with Phil Mickelson. He has rocketed to No. 66 in the World Golf Rankings and earned a special invitation to the Masters.