KARACHI: After a scintillating six-under 66 in the opening round of the CNS Open Golf Championship on Thursday, Waheed Baloch strolled to the lawn overlooking the clubhouse at the Karachi Golf Club to catch a breath and let it all sink in.

There, he saw the championship trophy and even as he reflected on his performance, he didn’t move his eyes away from the prize at hand. The trophy gleamed as the rays of the sun broke through the clouds and Waheed could see his name etched on it alongside the other past winners of the tournament.

“I just hope to keep doing what I did today,” the 2013 champion told Dawn, when asked if he was already thinking of lifting the trophy at the end of the final round on Sunday. “I’ve been practising a lot for this tournament and that has translated into performance today.”

But Waheed knows it’s still early days in the tournament with three more rounds to play. In February, he was the first-round leader at the CAS Open but eventually finished joint-sixth.

“It would mean nothing in the end if I don’t carry this form into the next rounds,” he said.

On a windy, overcast morning, Waheed overcame a double-bogey on the second hole to hit nine birdies and end the day three shots clear of defending champion Matloob Ahmed and Pakistan No.1 Shabbir Iqbal.

Mohammad Zubair was four shots off the lead and one stroke ahead of Mohammad Munir and Mohammad Khalid. A group of five golfers, including young sensation Ahmed Baig and the mercurial Mohammad Ashfaq, finished on 72.

Omar Shikoh Khan’s 72 saw him open a three-shot lead over Capt Nomanuddin in the amateurs’ contest at the end of the first round. Hamza Ghani and Abdullah Adil were tied for third at 77.

Mohammad Saqib hit a 77 in the opening round of the junior professionals’ competition, a shot ahead of Nabeel Khan and two clear of Abdul Wadood.

Mohammad Akram shot a 69 to take a three-stroke lead over Tahir Naseem and Mohammad Rafique atop the senior professionals’ leaderboard.

The action had already begun on the course before the tournament was officially declared open by Commander Karachi Rear Admiral Ovais Ahmed Bilgrami during a news conference.

Last year’s event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but with as many as 600 golfers taking part this year organisers are hopeful that the tournament would be safe.

“All the participants have submitted a vaccination certificate,” Commodore Mohammad Vaqar, Patron Pakistan Navy Golf (South), told Dawn, adding that they had a contingency plan if any participant were to test positive for coronavirus.

“There are certain things that are beyond our control,” he added when asked that the protocols being observed at the KGC wouldn’t necessarily be followed when the players are outside or at their hotels. “If there is a virus case, we will track down all possible close contacts and they will have to isolate.”

The players too are pleased with the protocols at the KGC.

“It’s being handled very nicely and we hope the tournament goes on smoothly,” Munir told Dawn, after overcoming a triple-bogey on the second hole.

Shabbir too had to dig himself out of a hole to keep up with Waheed.

After missing a regulation putt for birdie on the 17th, which would’ve seen him move three-under, his tee shot on the 18th landed in a rough, the ball nestling right at the base of a tree. With no space to get a proper swing, Shabbir shot from between a tree fork and found the green, eventually getting a birdie to ensure he didn’t fall further behind.

Shabbir has won three of the last four tournaments in Karachi, including the Rashid D. Habib Memorial Open in March where he came from four shots behind at the end of the first round to clinch the title.

He refused to take questions from reporters as he walked off the course at the end of his round. “We’ll speak at the end of the final round,” he said.

Perhaps, he wants to concentrate on doing what he does best: reeling in opponents after falling behind in the first round.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2021