KARACHI: Defending champion Shabbir Iqbal set a new course record when he carded a splendid 10 under 62 to lead the pack of golfers in the 54-holes Coca Cola 18th Sindh Open Golf Championship which teed off at the Arabian Sea Country Club in the outskirts of the city on Friday

Shabbir, a household name in the golfing fraternity of the country, was over and above the competitors scoring 12 birdies, five pars besides a double bogey on hole six on the front nine.

The country’s top golfer finished runner up in the CNS Open and won the DHA Independence Day Open in the two preceding events.

On his heels three shots behind is relatively little known Abid Rana of the Karachi Golf Club who fired 65, seven under par.

At four under 68, there’s a five-way tied in the third place between Shahid Hanif, M. Akhtar, Shahid Javed Khan, Ahmed Saeed and Ashfaq Rusi.

Noted golfers M. Munir, Waheed Baloch besides Talat iqbal, Naseer Khan, Talib Hussain and Arif Ali are tied at three under 69.

Leader board after first round:

Pros:

62 – Shabbir Iqbal (Islamabad)

65 – Abid Rana (KGC)

68 – Shahid Hanif (Gymkhana), M. Akhtar (IGC), Shahid Javed Khan (RPG), Ahmed Saeed (KGC), Ashfaq Rusi (AGC).

69 – M. Munir (Islamabad), Waheed Baloch (KGC), Talat Iqbal (Gym), Naseer Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Talib Hussain (Islamabad), Arif Ali (Gymkhana).

70 – Shaquil Mangol (PGF), Khalid Khan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), M. Khalid (DHA), Sunny Masih (Gymkhana), Latif Masih (Gym).

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2016