Omar Khalid fires stunning 69 for huge lead in Faldo Series

KARACHI: Karachi’s Omar Khalid was in sight of an emphatic title-winning triumph in the Faldo Series Pakistan golf tournament when he increased his lead to 17 strokes with a stunning round of three-under par 69 here at the Airmen Golf Club on Saturday.

Omar, who carded 73 in the opening round of the three-day tournament, was in full flow in the second round as he made four birdies to lead his category — the boys under-18 — by a whopping 24 strokes.

An A levels student of Nixor College, Omar is now a firm favourite to also win the overall championship trophy as he has a 17-stroke lead over the rest of the pack.

While almost all other competitors in the tournament have struggled with windy conditions and fast and unpredtctable greens at Airmen, Omar has been in his element and has been playing near perfect golf.

On Saturday, Omar made birdies on holes 3,9,11 and 13. His only blemish came in form of a bogey on the par-5 14th hole where his second shot landed at the root of a tree. He now has a 36-hole aggregate of 142 (-2).

Trailing Omar by 24 strokes in the boys under-18 category is Sameer Sayeed (166), who carded 81 in the second round to take the second spot. In third place is Abdullah Arif (167) who scored 83. He is followed by defending champion Yashal Shah in fourth place at 168.

In the boys under-21 category, Nadir Khan (163) accumulated an eight-stroke lead despite carding 84 in the second round. That was because favourite Damil Ataullah (171) from Lahore had an off day and returned with a card of 88. Hamza Zahid Khan is tied with Damil for the second place at 171.

In the boys under-16 category, Mardan’s Laraib ur Rehman is leading the pack with an aggregate of 159, just one shot ahead of Ashash (160). In third place is Islamabad’s Irtiza Hussain at 164.

In the girls under-21 category, national ladies champion Humna Amjad (167) carded 82 to take a three-shot lead against Daniah Syed (170). In the girls under-16 category, sole participant Ayesha Kashif scored 104 for an aggregate of 203.

The winners of all categories will earn the right to represent Pakistan in the Faldo Series Asia Grand Finals to be held in Vietnam later this year. The Grand Finals will be hosted by British golf legend Sir Nick Faldo where champion players from several nations will lock horns for supremacy.