As Sharmila Nicollet tees off in the The Helsingborg Open at Skane, Sweden, on Thursday, she will be embarking on a huge task -- to save her card for the next season.
Having missed the cut in three events, the 22-year-old Bangalorean finally found her groove in the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open where she finished tied 17th to pocket 3,158 euros. She then signed off 49th at the Ladies German Open to slowly climb the ladder.
Then came a dampener in the shape of a toe injury that set her back for two months in
June. Just when the 5’11’’ pro appeared to start swinging the clubs again, a twisted ankle confined her to the bed for another two weeks, completely upsetting her hopes of retaining her card. With just four events remaining, Sharmila, ranked 134th in the Merit List, faces a herculean challenge but the long-hitting pro expressed confidence ahead of her departure to Sweden.
Huge pressure
“There is huge pressure on me to save my card and I’m geared up for it,” said Sharmila before emplaning to Sweden. “I started the season well and felt very confident of my second year in Europe. I was playing well but the injury set me back. First it was the toe and by the time it healed, I hurt my ankle. It just went from bad to worse.
“Having said that, the pressure is on me to save my card. Considering I may just play four events -- maybe even just two -- I need to finish within the top-10, 20. I’m really looking forward to the Indian Open too. It’s always a pleasure playing at your national open and doing well will really boost my chances. I’m looking forward to a challenging four months ahead.”
Sharmila made her return last week at the Clover Greens -- a domestic tour event -- where she finished third despite not having touched a club for three months. Although the challenge was nowhere close to Europe, she felt the event has boosted her morale. “The comeback at Clover Greens was a huge confidence-booster for me. I’d not touched a club for a long while and to finish third is really motivating. The most important thing was shooting under-par overall. I’m going to take the confidence to Sweden. Let’s hope everything goes well.”
After Helsingborg Open, Sharmila may play two events in China -- Sanya Ladies Open and China Suzhou Taihu Open -- before signing off for the year at the Delhi Golf Club for November 28-30 Indian Open.