BIRTHDAY BOY SHUBHANKAR SHARMA CLAIMS TIED 19TH PLACE FOR SECOND STRAIGHT TOP-20 AT THE OPEN

India's Olympic-bound golfer I Shubhankar Sharma (76-72-6772) gave himself a gift on his 28th birthday as he carded a one-over 72 in the final round to record a creditable tied 19th finish at Royal Troon in the 152nd Open.

With the first two rounds of 76-72, Sharma made the cut on the line after surviving a tense threehour wait.

The Indian followed that up with a superb fourunder 67 on the third day to rise to tied 15th and on the final day, despite some missed putts and a three-putt, he fought his way to a 72 to finish inside the top 20 in demanding conditions.

Meanwhile, American Xander Schauffele, the reigning PGA Champion, grabbed a three-shot lead with three holes and finished the job with a two-shot win over Engalnd's Justin Rose (67), who finished as runner-up after coming into the event as a qualifier.

The conditions were tough but Sharma showed great grit and hung in for a final round of one-over 72 to finish three-over 287 for the week and inside the top-20 for the second straight year.