Shubankar Sharma, in a club of his own in a golf course

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Mexico City, March 2: Each month brings a bigger stage and a new level of pedigree for Shubhankar Sharma.

Shubankar arrived in Mexico City for his first World Golf Championship at No 75 in the world, making Sharma, at age 21, the highest-ranked player from India.

That's not what made him eligible to compete against Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and the world's best players for a $10 million prize fund.

Sharma is the only two-time winner on the European Tour this season. He is leading the Race to Dubai. And he hopes he is just getting started.

"I don't want to dwell on the past," Sharma said. "I still have so many things to do to get to the PGA Tour, and that's what I want to do."

And to think Sharma might never have seen a golf course except for the most unusual coincidence.

Sharma and Anirban Lahiri - the player he replaced as India's No. 1 - are both Army brats. Retired Col. Mohan Sharma was stationed at the same post as Lahiri's father, a gynecologist, when Sharma's younger sister was born.

"He was the doctor for my wife, and my wife was going through a tough time with blood pressure," Mohan Sharma said.

"He's very kind and a fine doctor. His son was a top junior at that time. My son was turning 7. And he said to me, This is a great game. You'll find that if you take him to golf."

The Army colonel and his son went to the golf course together for the first time. "No one in our family played golf," Shubhankar Sharma said.

"He bought a set and I would tag along with him on the course. After a month or two, he got me a cutdown 2-iron. That was my first club."

Sharma didn't hit it very high, but he was straight. And he loved it. Sharma was like many Indian kids. He played cricket after school. He played soccer.

"But golf was different," he said. "That's what appealed to me. When I was 12 or 13, I knew I was going to be a professional golfer."

And now he's in Mexico City, hopeful of a big week that could lead to greater moments. The top 64 in the world qualify for the Dell Match Play in three weeks. He is trying to get into the top 50 over the next month to qualify for the Masters.