March 3, 2018 / 1:18 AM / Updated 2 hours ago

Golf-Sharma upstages big names to take halfway lead in Mexico

March 2 (Reuters) - India’s Shubhankar Sharma upstaged the biggest names in golf by eagling the first hole en route to a two-shot halfway lead at the WGC-Mexico Championship on Friday.

In his first appearance in a World Golf Championships event, the 21-year-old added a five-under-par 66 to his opening round 65 to finish at 11-under 131 for the tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec in Mexico City.

The Spanish duo of Sergio Garcia (65) and Rafa Cabrera Bello (67) were in a share of second with American Xander Schauffele (68) on nine-under.

First round leader Louis Oosthuizen (71) backtracked to fall four shots off the pace in a large group also including defending champion Dustin Johnson (66).

Sharma entered the week already ranked first on the European Tour after two early-season victories, in South Africa and Malaysia.

Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Nick Mulvenney