KARACHI: Former champion Mohammad Shabbir Iqbal shot a brilliant three under par 69 to lead the pack after first round in the 54-hole Faysal Bank 16th Sindh Open Golf Championship which commenced at the Arabian Sea Country Club on Friday.

Islamabad’s Shabbir leads by two strokes over Imdad Hussain of Gymkhana who posted a card of one under 71 in the Sindh Golf Association’s blue-ribbon event which carries Rs2 million prize money.

The Sindh Open title has eluded Shabbir during the last three years after he become the first player to complete hat-trick in 2010.

Trio comprising Mohammad Safdar, Nisar Hussain and Mohammad Tariq are tied in the third place after playing a par round of 72.

Defending champion Mohammad Siddique of Faisalabad failed to make his mark and finish the first round with seven over 79.

At the outset, 73 pros teed off in the morning. The top 40 cut will be applied after second round on Saturday.

Meanwhile, former champion Ghazanfar Mehmood of Rawalpindi fired one over 73 to emerge first round leader and seize two shots lead over SGA’s Rofin Shamim.

Forty golfers teed off in the amateurs category.

According to SGA president, Asad I. A. Khan, another former champion Ali Hai abandoned after nine holes owing to fitness problems for the second successive year.

DHA’s Waseem Rana, who won the amateurs title in the 19th CNS Open Golf Championship in June, was disqualified for reporting late.

Asghar Ali of Gymkhana carded two under 70 to earn two stroke lead over challenger Mohammad Ilyas in the senior pros event.

Leader board after first round: Pros:

69 — Mohammad Shabbir Iqbal (Islamabad)

71 — Imdad Hussain (Gymkhana)

72 — Mohammad Safdar (Gujranwala), Nisar Hussain (Islamabad), Mohammad Tariq (Islamabad)

73 — Amjad Yousuf (KGC), M. Ashfaque (AGC)

74 — Moazzam Siddique (DHA), Mohammad Nazir (Islamabad), Mohammad Saeed (Gymkhana), Sajjad Khan (Islamabad)

Senior pros:

70 — Asghar Ali (Gymkhana)

72 — Mohammad Ilyas (Gymkhana)

73 — Ghani Khan (KGC), Akhtar Ali (Gymkhana)

74 — Saleem Inayat (KGC), Ghulam Nabi (Gymkhana)

Amateurs:

73 — Ghazanfar Mehmood (Rawalpindi)

75 — Rofin Shamim (SGA)

76 — Zohaib Asif (DHA)

77 — Zulfiqar Ali (MGC), M. Zubair (SGA)

78 — M. Rehman (Royal Palm)

79 — Salman Jehangir (Gymkhana), Mohsin Zafar (Royal Palm), Zia Hai (KGC), Akhtar Ali (SGA)

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2014