KARACHI: Shabbir Iqbal has hit the ceiling in his career. That doesn’t in any way imply, though, that the ceiling is very low.

After coasting to yet another title in his gloried career at the Rashid D. Habib Memorial Professional Golf Tournament at the Karachi Golf Club here on Sunday, there was a moment of reflection for Pakistan’s top golfer.

Shabbir will most probably continue winning tournaments in Pakistan for the next several years. He will probably continue to break more and more records, racking up more and more prize money on the way.

“I’m happy the way things are going for me,” the Shabbir told Dawn.

But is there something that would make him even more happier? Is there a motivation to test the frontiers beyond Pakistan? A loftier ambition?

“The time has passed for me to try to get on the Asian Tour,” the 43-year-old continued. “There is a certain age to try for that. It demands a rigorous practice schedule. With increasing age, practice becomes even harder. Right now, I just want to play and enjoy.”

It’s not that Shabbir hasn’t tried in the past. In 2012, he took part in the Asian Tour qualifiers. But since then, and the fact that he couldn’t secure sustained funding to ensure his participation, his motivation died.

Similar is the case for Shabbir’s contemporaries and long-time rivals Matloob Ahmed and Mohammad Munir.

That, however, isn’t the case for Pakistan’s next generation of golfers that includes Ahmed Baig.

Ahmed finished runner-up to Shabbir at the Rashid D. Habib Memorial Tournament and as he rises as Shabbir’s biggest challenger on the local circuit, he is in no mood to stop just there.

“I’m trying my best to move forward,” the 22-year-old told Dawn. “I want to continue improving and I’m working hard to try for the European Tour in October this year.”

In three of four tournaments in Karachi this year, Shabbir and Ahmed have finished among the top two. The Rashid D. Habib Memorial was the third tournament Shabbir has won while Ahmed won the DHA Karachi Cup.

Ahmed showed his prowess by running Shabbir close in the final stages on Sunday, finishing three strokes behind the winner after a fourth-round 68 for a 10-under 278.

Shabbir had started the round six shots clear of Ahmed and returned a card of 71 in the final round.

Starting the round four clear of Mohammad Ashfaq and Taimoor Khan, Shabbir had given himself a margin for error and even though he had three bogeys, his four birdies saw him hold on to top spot.

Ahmed’s chances of running Shabbir close seemed to have taken a big hit when he double bogeyed the sixth hole before another bogey followed on the seventh. But then he reeled off five successive birdies before adding two more birdies on the 16th and 17th holes.

“I got myself going … but it was too late,” said Ahmed.

Ashfaq (72) finished two shots behind Ahmed with Mohammad Munir (69) a further shot adrift.

Matloob (73) was tied on 283 with Taimoor (75), the duo ending a stroke ahead of first-round leader Hamza Amin (72).

Hamza had been joined by Shabbir atop the leaderboard at the end of the second round. And Shabbir, as he’s done numerous times in his career, seizes his chances at the perfect time.

Once he took a sizeable lead, there was only going to be one winner.

Shabbir’s achievements might not be surpassed by any other golfer on the Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) tour but as Pakistan golf still yearns for an Asian Tour winner, there is still space for recognition.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2021