Alam takes slim lead at CAS Open Golf

KARACHI: Muhammad Alam on Thursday gave the 37th CAS Open Golf Championship an usual start.

Unusual because normally a major golf tournament in Pakistan begins with one of the big guns of the national circuit taking the pole position on the leader-board.But on day one of the Rs8 million championship, it was the little-known Alam, who took a one-shot lead ahead of a star-studded pack, carding two-under par 70 in the first round.

The long and challenging Airmen Golf Course, counted among the most difficult venues on the national circuit, proved pretty tough for the title aspirants as only seven professionals could post sub-par totals. Only 12 could return with par or below, something that underlines the fact that the course was quite challenging in the opening round especially because of windy conditions.

A group of six professionals spearheaded by Pakistan No. 1 Shabbir Iqbal was in the second place on the leader-board at 71 (-1). Waheed Baloch, one of the leading Karachi golfers, was part of the group along with Matloob Ahmed, Talat Ejaz, Hashmat Khan and Daniyal Jahangir. Placed behind them on 72 were Hamza Amin, Misal Khan, Azmat Khan, Ansar Mahmood and M Azam.

In the senior professionals category, Muhammad Akram won the title with an aggregate groos score of 140 (-4), while Imdad Hussain secured second position with gross score of 147.In the junior professionals category, Usman Ali won the title with a gross score of 150, while Nasir Masih secured second position with gross score of 151.

Following is the leader-board (professionals) after the first round:

70: Muhammad Alam

71: Matloob Ahmed Shabbir Iqbal, Hashmat Khan, Daniyal Jahangir, Waheed Baloch, Talat Ijaz

70: M Azam, Misal Khan, Hamza Amin, Azmat Khan, Ansar Mehmood.