Hamza, Shabbir share lead in CAS Open Golf

KARACHI: Islamabad’s Hamza Amin fired an impressive round of two-under par 70 to share the lead with former champion Shabbir Iqbal in the penultimate round of the 40th Chief of Air Staff (CAS) Open Golf Championship here at the Airmen Golf Club on Friday.

On a long and challenging course where things were made tougher because of a strong breeze that blew all day long, Hamza made birdies on holes 2,5 and 16 to score 70 for a two-day aggregate of 141 (-3). He had a bogey on hole 17.

Also at 141 (-3) was the seasoned Shabbir Iqbal, who followed his opening round 72 with a second round score of three-under-par 69. That was the second-best round of the second day.

The best round of Friday came from resident Airmen pro Muhammad Ashfaq, who carded four-under-par 68. After an opening round 74, his 68 has catapulted Ashfaq to the joint third place on the leader-board with an aggregate of -2. Also in third place are Lahore’s Matloob Ahmed, KGC’s Arshad Rasheed and Pindi’s Muhammad Munir.

They are followed by Muhammad Nazir, Akhtar Ali, Muhammad Azam and Muhammad Tariq.

KGC’s Waheed Baloch, the opening day’s joint leader, slipped out of the top-10 after a disastrous round of 78.

The biggest disappointment of the second round turned out to Ahmed Baig, the recently-crowned DHA Karachi Cup champion, who has stumbled to No. 14 after a second round outing of 76. Baig, who started as one of the hot favourites for the title after his emphatic win at the DHA Karachi Cup last week, now has an uphill task as he is now eight strokes behind the two leaders.

Quetta’s Akber Khan, the opening day’s joint leader, also slipped to No. 13 after carding 79.

In the amateurs’ category, national amateur champion Omar Khalid consolidated his lead after carding the day’s best round of 75. Omar, 16, managed to read the bumpy AGC greens better than he did on the opening day, as he made birdies on holes 4,5 and 12. Omar now enjoys a four-stroke lead over the duo of Saim Shazli (77) and Omar Shikoh Khan (79) going into the final round of the amateurs’ contest.

In the ladies event which was reduced to 18 holes because of only four participants, Humna Amjad won the gross title with a score 80 while Abeeha Syed claimed the net trophy with 88.