Top stars eye richest purse at CNS Open Golf

KARACHI: There was a mad rush for last-minute entries leaving the organisers of the UMA-CNS Open Golf Championship with a big headache on Tuesday.

But with just a couple of days to go before the country’s richest sporting event tees off, such desperate attempts to sneak into the draw were hardly surprising. After all, the four-day championship which will explode into action from Thursday (tomorrow) offers a whopping prize basket of Rs6.5 million.

The lucrative purse is just one of the reasons why the CNS Open is regarded among the most prestigious tournaments on the national golf calendar. It always attracts a stellar field and this year is no exception.

Top professionals, amateurs, senior professionals and participants of other categories have already gathered from all over the country and beyond to feature in the championship that will be held at the scenic course of the Karachi Golf Club (KGC).

The championship was declared open on Tuesday by Commander Karachi Rear Admiral Farrokh Ahmed, who is also President KGC.

Seasoned professional Muhammad Munir from Islamabad will be looking to defend the coveted crown but is likely to face stiff opposition from the likes of Shabbir Iqbal, Hamza Amin, Matloob Ahmed and local hope Waheed Baloch.

But Munir will almost be unbeatable if he repeats his last year’s heroics when he made sure that the 20th CNS Open will go down in the annals of history as one of the most memorable events.

Munir dominated the KGC course like it has never been done before in the long and rich history of this prestigious venue.

With scores of 65, 68, 66 and 68, the Islamabad player displayed near-perfect golf for an aggregate of 267 (-21) to win the Rs6 million championship by a whopping five strokes. In the process he also created a new course record.

“I will try to give my best again and retain the title,” Munir said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile the event’s organisers have promised to deliver a highly successful championship.

Commodore Ali Abbas, Patron PN Golf (South), told reporters here at KGC on Tuesday that all out arrangements were being made to make the CNS Open a resounding success.

He said that the championship will see contests in various categories including the main professional event which will carry a purse of Rs6 million. The event for caddies and semi professionals will offer Rs500,000. The other events include amateurs, caddies, junior professionals, seniors, veterans, ladies and juniors.

An opening ceremony was held at the KGC on Tuesday. Among others who attended the ceremony were Asad I.A Khan, President Sindh Golf Association (SGA), Sohail Shams of UMA, Bank AlHabib’s Managing Director Abbas Habib, KGC’s COO Commodore Zafar Mahmood, Secretary Majid Satti, Captain Rizwan Feroze and Lady Captain Fawzia Naqvi.