When Phil Mickelson thought Shubhankar Sharma as media and not a golfer

New Delhi: A hilarious incident took place at the WGC Mexico Championship on Saturday when the eventual winner Phil Mickelson mistakenly took India's sensational golfer Shubhankar Sharma as a media personnel. 

The Indian went to meet Mickelson, one of his idols during his growing years, but the senior pro was busy putting on the practice green and asked him to come later for a chat, mistaking him as media. Then Mickelson, after realising that Sharma had arrived with his caddie to meet him, only then did he break into a hilarious laugh and had a chat with the 21-year-old. 

“Me and my caddie went up to [Mickelson]. He thought we were media and he said, ‘Not right now, after the round,’” Sharma laughed. “Then he just realized and said, ‘So sorry, I thought you were media.’ He said ‘hi.’ I said ‘hi.’ Then he made a few putts and he came back to me and said, ‘Have a good day.’ It was nice.”

Sharma, who held a two-stroke lead until the end of round two, couldn't carry the momentum into the final round and fired bogeyed five holes on the fifth, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th as he birdied the 12th and 16th holes for a 74 at the Club de Golf Chapultepec.

World No.75 Shubhankar, making his debut appearance in the World Golf Championships, was short on experience and that finally took a toll on him as he went through a tough back-nine.

Shubhankar's four-day total of 10-under 274 (65-66-69-74) was six shots behind world No.34 Phil Mickelson (five-under 66) and No.3 Justin Thomas (64) after 72 holes of regulation play.