Six pros share lead as Sindh Open Golf gets underway

KARACHI: Islamabad’s Ansar Mehmood spearheaded a list of six professionals who shared the lead on the opening day of the Jubilee General Insurance 20th Sindh Open Golf Championship, which teed off at the Arabian Sea Country Club on Friday.

Ansar shot a superb round of four-under par 68 and so did Muhammad Munir, Shahid Javed Khan, Muhammad Ashfaq, Muhammad Qasim and Muhammad Afzal.On a cloudy day when a pleasant breeze blew across the ASCC course, a record number of 218 golfers participated in the Rs3 million championship staged by the Sindh Golf Association (SGA).

Placed behind the pack of leaders were Matloob Ahmed and Tahir Naseem at 69. Atiqur Rehman, Latif Rafique and Muhammad Nazir were at 70. Leading Karachi golfer Waheed Baloch was at 71 along with Hashmat Kha, Muhammad Tariq and Ahmed Saeed.

However, defending champion Shabbir Iqbal, looking for his third consecutive win in the prestigious championship, had a quiet round of par 72. Shabbir made three birdies but his card was spoiled by an equal number of bogies.

The three-day championship has attracted a huge number of professional and amateur golfers. A total of 96 professional golfers including all the big names of national golf were seen in action early in the morning when the flights began to move.

There were 63 Amateurs, with 26 senior professionals and 22 junior professionals.The title event of the competition is in professional category where the competitors will be vying for a total prize money of Rs2.3 million.