New Delhi, Jan. 11 -- To say that Shubhankar Sharma had a bad 2025 will be putting it mildly. The 29-year-old, India's permanent fixture on the DP World Tour for close to a decade, competed in 28 European Tour events last year and missed cuts in 21. The horror run meant Sharma had to return to the Q-School to retain his playing rights for 2026. "It was definitely the most testing year of my career. Never in my professional career did I have to go back and save the card. It was a humbling experience but I was prepared to go through the grind," Sharma said from his hometown Chandigarh. Sharma competed in the final two stages of Q-School, which was played over six rounds. He retained his card thanks to a tied-second finish in the final stage held at the Infinitum (Lakes and Hills Courses) in Tarragona, Spain. The two-time winner on the DP World Tour fired rounds of 70-69-66-67-66-66 for an aggregate of 24-under 404. "Q-School was gruelling, especially since it was at the end of a long season. It was a quality field and the pressure was intense. My game finally came together there and I'll carry that form and confidence to the next year," Sharma said. What also came together was his getting used to his new clubs. For a few seasons now, Sharma had felt the need to go for a heftier shaft. He had used the same shaft and club combination for over 15 years and felt the need for a change in 2024. "That was an Olympic year and I was gearing up for The Open as well, so I put it off till 2025," he said. Equipment changes are never easy in golf. Golfers are known to fuss over fine technical details, and Sharma is no different, "although I am not exactly like Rafael Nadal when it comes to being methodical." The new shaft weighs about 10gm more, but it's a change he feels is suited to his ball-striking and swing. "As I grew stronger with age and training, the same club didn't give me the same control. The new shaft is stiffer overall; just a bit denser in the middle section. Also, it has a lower torque which gives better stability," he explained. "The club and shaft must feel like an extension of the golfer's arm. I was determined to change the equipment because I wanted to take ownership of my performances. Once at the course, I do not like to second guess. For some time now, I feel I had traded distance for better control - which is not exactly a bad thing - but I knew I had something left in the tank." Sharma's average driving distance last year was 288.44 yards against a tour average of 297.78. In 2024, he drove an average of 293.51, and in 2023 the number stood at 296.74. His average driving distance in 2025 was the lowest he has logged since making his European debut nine years ago. "The numbers are not flattering but I missed quite a few cuts by one shot. Sometimes, the weather changed dramatically in the second half to mess up my scores. Also, until August-September, I was trying a new shaft every few weeks which didn't help." What helped was a two-week session with coach Gurbaz Mann in the US where they zeroed in on the right equipment. "The results followed soon after at the Q-School and I am confident of carrying that form into 2026. It's been so long since I won in Europe, and that can change this year," he said. Sharma's long wait is also accentuated by the sheer lack of Indian performers on the European Tour. In recent years, Manu Gandas, OP Chouhan and Veer Ahlawat have competed in Europe and Shubhankar will be joined by Yuvraj Sandhu on the tour this year....