<p class="bodytext">Set to play with 1987 winner Larry Mize and local Georgia man Russell Henley in the first round, India's latest golfing sensation Shubhankar Sharma, a special invitee to the Masters, is already attracting a lot of attention and he is loving it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If all this helps to push golf in India, I am happy. I know there are a lot of good players back home and if I can inspire others to take up and some day get here and on PGA Tour, it will be fantastic," said Shubhankar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He admitted he liked being the new young face of Indian golf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was on the Tuesday of the week of the Hero Indian Open last month, which is his National Open, that he got a call from Hootie Johnson from the Augusta National.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shubhankar was still on the flight returning from WGC-Mexico. On returning home, he saw a mail in his in-box from Augusta asking him to call back.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought it could be an invite, but I didn't want to raise my expectations. I made the call and they said they wanted to invite me," he recalled.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was very excited. There were some friends and we enjoyed that moment. Next day on the Masters site, it said I had accepted the invitation. I said, who wouldn't. It is everybody's dream to play here."</p>.<p class="bodytext">A lot has happened since then and Shubhankar is in Augusta now with his family and friends.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going back a little over 10 years, Jeev Milkha Singh from Chandigarh became the first Indian golfer to tee off at the Augusta Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now it is 2018 and another Chandigarh golfer, all of 21, caught the eye of the Tournament Committee at the Augusta National to get 'invited' to the Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Jeev, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri, too have played at Augusta.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the last few weeks, Shubhankar has played with Phil Mickelson in the lead group at WGC-Mexico on Sunday, with Sergio Garcia at the WGC-Match play and so he can rightfully dream of playing with Tiger at the Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I know everyone will be following Tiger. I did too when I used to watch him on TV," said Shubhankar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now the difference is he is in the field with Woods.</p>
<p class="bodytext">Set to play with 1987 winner Larry Mize and local Georgia man Russell Henley in the first round, India's latest golfing sensation Shubhankar Sharma, a special invitee to the Masters, is already attracting a lot of attention and he is loving it.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"If all this helps to push golf in India, I am happy. I know there are a lot of good players back home and if I can inspire others to take up and some day get here and on PGA Tour, it will be fantastic," said Shubhankar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">He admitted he liked being the new young face of Indian golf.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was on the Tuesday of the week of the Hero Indian Open last month, which is his National Open, that he got a call from Hootie Johnson from the Augusta National.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Shubhankar was still on the flight returning from WGC-Mexico. On returning home, he saw a mail in his in-box from Augusta asking him to call back.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I thought it could be an invite, but I didn't want to raise my expectations. I made the call and they said they wanted to invite me," he recalled.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I was very excited. There were some friends and we enjoyed that moment. Next day on the Masters site, it said I had accepted the invitation. I said, who wouldn't. It is everybody's dream to play here."</p>.<p class="bodytext">A lot has happened since then and Shubhankar is in Augusta now with his family and friends.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Going back a little over 10 years, Jeev Milkha Singh from Chandigarh became the first Indian golfer to tee off at the Augusta Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now it is 2018 and another Chandigarh golfer, all of 21, caught the eye of the Tournament Committee at the Augusta National to get 'invited' to the Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Since Jeev, Arjun Atwal and Anirban Lahiri, too have played at Augusta.</p>.<p class="bodytext">In the last few weeks, Shubhankar has played with Phil Mickelson in the lead group at WGC-Mexico on Sunday, with Sergio Garcia at the WGC-Match play and so he can rightfully dream of playing with Tiger at the Masters.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I know everyone will be following Tiger. I did too when I used to watch him on TV," said Shubhankar.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Now the difference is he is in the field with Woods.</p>