Golf: Shubhankar lies tied 6th in final stage Qualifying School event in Spain

Tarragona (Spain), Nov 11 (IANS) Shubhankar Sharma was tied-sixth after the fourth round of the DP World Tour Final Stage Qualifying School at INFINITUM. With rounds of 70-69-66-67 he was 14-under, but eight shots behind the leader, Zander Lombard. There are two more rounds left in the six-round final stage of the Q-School.

Australian Connor McKinney (67) is solo second at 16-under, while the trio of Quentin Debove, Benjamin Follett-Smith, and Matthew Baldwin is tied-third at 15-under.

Sharma, who has had a difficult 2025 season on the DP World Tour this year, has previously been ranked as high as 64th on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). This year, he missed 17 consecutive cuts after the Indian Open held in March. The season saw him lose his tour card and return to the Q School in a bid to retain playing privileges.

The 29-year-old, who has previously won two titles on the DP World Tour, stated during the DP World India Championships that he has struggled with equipment changes throughout the year and has yet to find a combination that works for him. Things have looked better this week, though 36 holes more have to be played.

Lombard took a big step towards securing DP World Tour playing privileges for 2026 by jumping into a six-stroke lead on day four of Final Stage Qualifying School for the second time in his career as a player; the last time was in 2018.

Lombard was on a career high of 96th on the OWGR before he underwent an ACL reconstruction surgery that kept him out of the game until March this year. He stated that the hard work done during his recovery is starting to pay off.

The South African, who shared the overnight lead with Benjamin Follett-Smith of Zimbabwe, posted a 7-under 64 on the Lakes Course to reach 22 under par for the week, six clear of his closest rival.

Frenchman Quentin Debove fired the round of the day of 8-under 63 to climb into a share of third on 15 under par alongside Follett-Smith and DP World Tour winner Matthew Baldwin.

Five players are tied sixth at 14 under par, including Sharma, Canadian Aaron Cockerill, Englishman Nathan Kimsey, Dane Hamish Brown, and American Davis Bryant.

A total of 60 players made the 72-hole cut; the leading 20 players and ties after six rounds will earn themselves DP World Tour playing privileges (Category 18) for 2026.

--IANS

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