Shabbir retains Sindh Open

KARACHI: When the going gets tough, it’s Shabbir Iqbal who gets going.
The Pakistan No 1 proved it yet again when he retained the title in the 17th Sindh Open Golf Championship here at the Arabian Sea Country Club on Sunday.
Undeterred by windy conditions, the seasoned golfer showed nerves of steel on a high-pressure final day to win the prestigious crown by three strokes.
In the process he extracted sweet revenge by beating his nemesis Muhammad Munir, the man who toppled Shabbir at the lucrative CNS Open Golf Championship earlier this month at the Karachi Golf Club.
“It is good to be back in form,” said Shabbir, who has dominated the Sindh Open and is also the most successful golfer in the history of ASCC.
Munir, who carded an impressive 64 on the opening day of the 54-hole Sindh Open hosted by the Sindh Golf Association (SGA), was in the hunt for the crown till the 16th hole but bogeys on the par-3 17th and the par-4 last hole allowed Shabbir to walk away with the title. He missed a five footer on the last green and had to contend with the runner-up trophy.
Shabbir followed cards of 66 and 68 with a final-round 69 in which he made four birdies on the Front Nine for an aggregate of 13-under 203 over three days. Munir finished with 71 on the final day to take the runner-up place with 10-under 206. Matloob Ahmed carded 70 to take the third place (209), ahead of Ansar Mehmood (211), Ahmed Saeed (213) and Hamza Amin (214).
Veteran professional Imdad Hussain walked away with the senior professionals’ title winning it by five strokes.
PAF’s Taimur Khan was crowned as the amateur champion after carding a final round 76 for an aggregate of 221. Naeem Khan was the runner-up. Salman Jahangir won the net title.
President SGA Asad I.A. Khan gave away the glittering Sindh Open trophy and a cash award of Rs363,138 to winner Shabbir while Muhammad Munir walked away with the runner-up trophy and a purse of Rs244,150. Also presnt on the occasion were Secretary SGA Ashraf Khan Ghori and Captain ASCC Arshad I.A Khan.
“It is yet another successful edition of the Sindh Open and we are thankful to everybody who was part of this championship,” said Asad.
Following is the final leader-board:
Professionals: 203 – Shabbir Iqbal (Isb) 66, 68, 69. 206 - Muhammad Munir (Isb) 64, 71, 71. 209 - Matloob Ahmed (LGC) 66, 73, 70. 211 - Ansar Mahmood (Isb) 71, 71, 60. 213 - Ahmed Saeed (KGC) 70, 73, 70. 214 - Hamza Amin (Isb) 70, 70, 74. 215 - M Ashfaque (AGC) 69, 70, 76 M Khalid (DHA) 75, 69, 71.
Senior professional: 213 – (Imdad Hussain (LGC). 218 - Hasan Akbar (Pshr). 220 - Muhammad Iqbal (Gym), Akbar Ali (Gym).
Amateurs (Gross): 221 - Taimur Khan (PAF) 70, 75, 76. 223 - M Naeem Khan (PGC) 71, 78, 74.
Net: 216 - Salman Jehangir (Gym). 218 – Zeeshan Ahmed (ASCC).
Juniors:
Gross: 124 - Junaid Irfan (KGC). 127 – Luca Guidi (KGC).
Net: 112 - Saad Imtiaz (DHA). 117 – Hamza Siddique (SGA).