With the 2017 Road to Oman resuming next week with the Turkish Airlines Challenge, we’re taking a look at some of the talented hopefuls on this year’s European Challenge Tour. This time, we hear from young Irishman Cormac Sharvin.
The path from top amateur to top professional in golf is a curiously difficult one, with far more budding world-beaters struggling than thriving once joining paid ranks.
Cormac Sharvin enters his second season as a professional betraying no signs of the doubts or scars many others bear after making the step up – indeed, his self-assurance would appear to be one of his greatest assets as he targets one of the top 15 spots in the Road to Oman Rankings.
“I’m definitely feeling a lot more comfortable on the Challenge Tour,” said the 24 year old. “Last year was a bit of a shock to me and I was coming to golf courses and seven or eight under was being shot, but I now feel like I can also shoot those scores.
“These golf courses tend to give you a lot more birdie opportunities so I’m a lot more comfortable with the style of golf I’m now playing compared to as an amateur.
“You get into a mindset as an amateur where level par is a good score whereas if you come out here and shoot level par you’ll miss almost every cut.
“It was really just my mindset, I didn’t really have to change my game – though I do feel like I’m a lot better than I was a year ago. But you’ve got to get out here and just score as low as you can.
“I think I’ve started to drive it a lot better and I’ve improved my short game a lot – if you drive it good and wedge it good out here I think you’re going to do well.”
A bright start to the year in last month’s season-opening Barclays Kenya Open has further instilled belief in the Ardglass man, a top 20 showing the long winter has not affected his form.
Sharvin was the star when Great Britain & Ireland took a convincing Walker Cup victory 18 months ago, winning all three of his matches, so the return of match play golf to the Challenge Tour schedule with the Andalucía Costa del Sol Match Play 9 inevitably caught his eye.
“I would definitely be comfortable playing that event if I get in,” he said. “I think that would be a good opportunity for me to do well.
“We’ve two events in Ireland as well so that’s two good opportunities for me, playing in front of home crowds, and I know the golf courses well so that helps my chances too.
“I think every week is an opportunity to be honest though, and if you play well you should have a chance to win every week.
“I have a couple of goals. I want to try to win at least one event and then, obviously, get into that top 15 and get onto the European Tour. I definitely feel I’m ready to take that step and move to the next level.”
