KARACHI: After a gruelling battle of both nerves and skill, Matloob Ahmed was the last man standing.

It had required a special effort from him to stave off a sustained challenge from Mohammad Ashfaq. The joy was such that he was still giddy after he’d lifted the Sindh Open Golf Championship trophy after a gripping final round here at the Arabian Sea Country Club on Sunday.

“I don’t really have words to describe how I feel at this moment,” Matloob told Dawn. “This was a tough contest from the first day and this is a very difficult course. I had to fight for this so it’s really special to win this title.”

Matloob was all but certain of clinching the title by the time he birdied the final hole for a 70 that saw him finish with a 12-under 204 after 54 holes, but he had been stretched to the limit by Ashfaq who kept up the pace with him, only to wilt on the 14th hole.

The duo had started the final round on level terms and arrived on the fifth to last hole on an even keel. The par-5 hole is one of the most difficult ones on the course and it was Matloob’s decision to use the iron that saw him prevail in the end.

Ashfaq used a driver and found the rough. And while he double bogeyed the hole, Matloob birdied; giving the latter that crucial three-shot advantage that would make the difference in the end.

“I knew then that it was all over,” Matloob said. “A three-stroke lead over four holes is pretty decisive and I never really looked back from there.”

Ashfaq tried to come back with a birdie on the 16th hole but it was all in vain and his 73 saw him end on a nine-under 207.

At the end of the second round with Matloob and Ashfaq holding a five-shot lead over their nearest rivals, the former had predicted it would be a two-horse race to the finish.

It turned out exactly like that. A challenge from four-time defending champion Shabbir Iqbal, who started the day seven shots behind, never really transpired — the Pakistan number one’s 70 seeing him finish joint-fourth on five-under 211 with Mohammad Munir (72).

Ansar Mehmood’s 69 was the best round of the day but it only saw him end third with a three-day total of 208.

Mohammad Qasim shot a 74 to finish on 214, one stroke ahead of both Shahid Javed Khan (74) and Latif Rafique (73) while Mohammad Alam stretched his consistency of ending with a par score on a third consecutive day for a total of 216.

The intrigue and the drama however was all provided by Matloob and Ashfaq. After both birdied the fourth hole, Ashfaq’s bogey on the very next hole gave Matloob the lead for the first time.

Another birdie on the seventh saw Matloob stretch his advantage before they matched each other with birdies on the 10th. However, pressure crept in for Matloob and his advantage was all gone by the 12th hole after successive bogeys. The decision to go with an iron on the 14th, however, spared him.

Matloob believed the triumph has given him the momentum that will inspire him to greater success.

“Next week is the DHA Open which I really want to win,” he said. “Beyond that we have the CNS Open in October, which is the first Asian Tour event in the country in 11 years, and if I keep winning, it will give me the confidence to do well in that event as well.”

Teenage sensation Ahmed Baig, meanwhile, took the amateurs’ title after he shot a two-over 218 over 54 holes. Ahmed shot 75 in the final round.

The youngster, who was stopped by the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) to not turn professional this season so as to keep the amateur circuit competitive, said this will be his last season as an amateur.

“I will take part in the Asian Games golf event later this month and play two more championships before turning professional next year,” Ahmed disclosed. The Asian Games golf will see Ahmed compete for both individual and team titles and runs from August 23 to 26.

Taimoor Khan’s 74 saw him finish as runner-up with a total of 219 while Ghazanfar Mehmood’s 77 saw him take third place, a stroke adrift.

In the two-round junior professionals’ event, Kashif Masih prevailed with a two-under 144, two shots ahead of second-placed Syed Bilal Hussain.

Mohammad Akram won the senior professional event with a four-under 140 over 36 holes, finishing a stroke ahead of both Imdad Hussain and Mehmood Hussain.

The ladies title went to Aania Farooq who shot 149 over two days while a net score of 147 saw Hamza Shikoh win the junior amateur title.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2018