Sharmila Nicollet, the tall Bangalore-based golfer steps into the Ladies European Tour for her second full season. And this time around, she voiced her confidence and optimism. “Unlike the last time, I am better prepared. My short game had been a let down but this time around I have worked hard on my chipping and putting. I have become more versatile now,” said the suave Sharmila, who leaves for Morocco for her first event of the season, this weekend.
“Last year, my first on tour, was a learning curve and there are many things one comes across. The conditions, the challenges,” she explained. “At the Champion Reef Golf County, near Kolar, the windy conditions are almost similar to the ones one experiences in European courses. So practising there during my preparations for the season ahead was fulfilling in many ways. The greens at Champion Reef with its bent grass is what most of the European courses have and getting to play here for a couple of months now has prepared me for the tough grind ahead,” she added.
Sharmila incidentally is the Brand Ambassador for Champion Reef.
The 22 year old, the only Indian to secure a full tour card in the Ladies European Tour after a fine showing in the Qualifying School, hopes to do well this season.
“I am looking at a few top 10 finishes this season and even win a tournament or two. A win will definitely boost the game in our country,” said the Bangalorean. “But most importantly I am targeting a top-80 finish at the end of the season.”
Asked about how many tournaments she will play, Sharmila said: “I am going to be choosy and will play in about 15 to 17 events this season. There is no point playing at every event. I need to pick and choose and play my best golf in the tournaments I enter.”
Known for her superb long drives and tee-shots, the long-limbed Sharmila who took to the game as an 11 year old is aiming high.
Tarun Sardesai, Sharmila’s coach and mentor, vouches for his ward’s potential: “Sharmila has been doing well and has improved tremendously. She has managed to iron out her weaknesses and should be bringing in laurels for herself and the country soon.”
