Shabbir cards 67 to take pole position in CNS Open Golf

KARACHI: Title favourite Shabbir Iqbal fired a sizzling round of five-under-par 67 to take a two-shot lead after the second round of the Engro 25th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Open Golf Championship here at the Karachi Golf Club on Friday.

Shabbir, who sees the picture-perfect KGC course as a happy hunting ground, was in his element as he made a series of birdies to propel himself to the top spot on the leader-board of the Rs8.5 million championship.

With first day’s leader Waheed Baloch carding a par round of 72, Shabbir now enjoys a clear lead with a two-day aggregate of 136 (-8).

Shabbir started the second round with back-to-back birdies on the 2nd and 3rd holes. He also birdied the fifth hole and ended the front nine at 34 after bogeying the 9th hole. He was in top gear on the back nine making three birdies on holes 13, 14 and 16.

Two more players carded 67 on the second day and one of them was Ahmed Baig, the young contender from Lahore. Ahmed catapulted himself towards the top despite a first round 72. He birdied the 2nd hole finishing the front nine at 35 but went for the kill after the turn as he made four birdies on holes 10, 14, 15 and 16 for a stunning score of 32 on the back nine. Ahmed is now tied for the third place with Rawalpindi’s Muhammad Nazir who also carded 67. Both have similar aggregates of 139.

Defending champion Matloob Ahmed played another round of three-under-par 69 to stay in the hunt. He is tied for the second place with Waheed Baloch at an aggregate of 138.

The highlight of the day was seasoned KGC pro Afsar Ali winning a brand new Toyota Fortuner after making a hole-in-one on the par-3 third. Afsar, who was included in the event as a wild card, failed to make the cut but walked away with the most lucrative prize at stake during the championship.

In the amateurs’ category, national amateur champion Omar Khalid of KGC bounced back from his opening round’s 78 to jump to the top of the leader-board with an impressive card of 72. He is now tied for the lead with Lt Col Ayub Khan from Gujranwala, who followed his first day’s 80 with a stunning round of two-under par 70 in the second round. Both Omar and Col Ayub are tied for the first position with two-day aggregate of 150.

They are followed by brothers Omar Shikoh Khan and Arsalan Shikoh Khan at 152. At 153 is Abdullah Adil, followed by Yashal Shah (156), Muhammad Ahmad Mannan (157) and Saim Shazli (157).

In the ladies’ category which will be played over 36 holes, the young Hamna Amjad took a two-shot lead after carding 73 in the opening round. In second place is Lahore’s Rimsha Ijaz (75). She is followed by Aania Farooq (77), Parkha Ijaz (81) and Ghazala Yasmin (81).