KARACHI: Ansar Mehmood made history on the first day of the championship by playing 7 under par on one of the toughest golf courses of the country as the 35th CAS Open Golf Championship commenced at the Airmen Golf Course and Recreational Park at PAF Base Korangi Creek on Thursday.

The championship will be played for four days and 18 holes will be played each day. Ansar played superb golf in strong windy conditions and has a lead of 3 strokes on Mohammad Ashfaq who is playing at 4 under par.

Defending champion Shabbir Iqbal finished first day on third position with three 2 under par alongwith Mohammad Amir and Zulfiqar Ali.

Earlier, Air Vice Marshal Salman Ahsan Bukhari, Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command, who is also the patron in chief of the Airmen Golf Course, inaugurated the championship.

Around 300 leading golfers, including 109 professionals, are participating in the championship from all over the country for Rs4 million prize purse. The players would also be vying for two brand new cars which have been put on offer for the players who score hole-in one.

Subsidiary matches in the category of senior professionals, amateurs, Airmen Golf Course members, ladies, veterans and invitees will also be played during the four-day championship.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2016