KARACHI: Competitive golf is played mainly on a five-and-a-half-inch course... the space between your ears, quipped Bobby Jones.
A look at the final round of the Chevron All Pakistan DHA Open would have told you what the American golfer was talking about.
It was a see-saw battle between the trio of defending champion Muhammad Munir, Shabbir Iqbal and Hamza Amin — but mainly between Shabbir and Hamza.
The Shabbir-Hamza encounter was a perfect battle, pitching experience versus youth and in the end it was the battle-hardened Shabbir that walked away with the crown.
But not before a nerve-wrecking play-off that attracted a sizeable gallery here at the picture-perfect Defence Authority Country and Golf Club (DACGC) on Sunday.
Shabbir began the final round of the Rs 1.8 million championship with a one-shot advantage but the big-hitting Hamza, son of legendary golfer Taimur Hassan, was ahead of him after making birdies on holes 2,5,10,12,13,15. Shabbir had birdies on 8,9,11 and was lucky to survive three bad shots on the par-5 15th in which he got away with a bogey. Despite a one-hot lead Hamza felt the pressure and three-putted on the par-3 17th for a bogey to allow Shabbir to force a play-off.
Meanwhile, Munir returned with the best card of the day — five-under 67 — to force a play-off with the leader duo. Munir played near perfect golf as he made birdies on holes 8 and 9 and then eagled the par-5 15th before finishing with a birdie on the par-4 18th.
In the end, all three of Pakistan’s top professionals were tied at seven-under 209.
They went back to the 18th for the play-off and it was Munir, who was the first to falter. His second shot missed the green by some distance and the chip fell way too short. He failed to sink a 12-footer while Hamza and Shabbir made pars to stay alive.
The two then produced excellent drives on the par-4 tenth and then landed within eight feet of the hole. But Hamza had a seemingly easier putt to sink.
Both failed to make their birdie putts and headed to the par-3 17th where Shabbir landed his tee shot to within two feet of the hole. Hamza had a 12-footer and once again missed the putt.
“Today all my bogies were three putts,” Hamza told ‘The News’ after losing the play-off.
As Hamza walked back to the clubhouse with a grim look on his face, the gallery gravitated towards the champion — Shabbir Iqbal.
“It was tough but I knew that after getting so many chances on the 15th holes I’m going to win this one,” he said.
Munir finished third ahead of Matloob Ahmed, Muhammad Naqas, Imran Ali Khan, M Afzal, M Qasim, Talib Hussain and Afsar Ali.
The biggest winner of the championship was Lahore youngster Ahmed Baig, who made a hole-in-one to win a brand new Toyota Corolla.
Muhammad Akram won the senior professionals’ event while Usman Ali claimed the junior professionals’ title.
Naeem Khan annexed the amateurs’ trophy ahead of Taimoor Khan. Brigadier Zubair Ahmed, Administrator DHA, was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony. Also present at the occasion were Najam Shamsuddin, Country Chairman of Chevron Pakistan Lubricants, President Sindh Golf Association (SGA) Asad I.A Khan and Brigadier Tariq Rafique, Secretary DACGC.