The 41st Pakistan Open Golf Championship, sponsored by AKD Securities and currently in progress at the exquisite par 72, DHA Country Club Golf Course in Karachi, has begun to sparkle with quality shot making and exceedingly good work around the greens as the four days championship reaches the half way mark, after completion of the second round.
At the end of the second day, the champion upfront is Shabbir Iqbal who had no problem in retaining his leader board top position with a second round 18 holes score of gross 70 and a two-day aggregate of 139, five under par. And for that matter the top three positions remain unchanged and are similar to the ones on the first day, as Mohammed Munir is placed second and Matloob Ahmed, third. The advantage in terms of stroke difference is all tilted towards Shabbir as now he has a two-stroke edge over Munir who is placed at 141 (70+71) and a four-stroke ascendancy over Matloob who reached an aggregate score of 143 (71+72).
Other professionals looking good and very much in contention are: Shahid Javed Khan of Royal Palm at 144 (72+72), Irfan Mehmood of Rawalpindi at 146 (70+76) alongwith Talib Hussain of Islamabad and Afsar Ali of Karachi at the same score, followed by four competitors at 147 and they are Imdad Hussain, Mehroz Ilyas, Javed Inayat and Hamza Amin.
As for Javed Inayat, an experienced one and Hamza Amin, barely 22 years old and a new entrant to the professional ranks, brightened the competition with laudable excellence through similar scores of gross 68, four under par, the best score produced in the second round. In particular, Hamza, after a rather desolate show in the first round, launched himself in 18 holes, riding high in confidence, enjoying virtually a flawless round that was highlighted by four birdies and fourteen pars.
“I am very happy with how I’ve played, tee shots were all great and putting was flair oriented,” said Hamza. He further said: “The competition is fierce which has to be countered with quality play”. From the statistical angle Shabbir was rock solid, not too spectacular but steady and in full control, two birdies on the front nine, two on the back nine, 12 pars and two bogies, the bogies not to his liking but they all the same to erode the good effect of two birdies. “I am happy with my feel of the game and hope to compile a spectacular under par round on Saturday, the third day,” he said. Munir is attracting enough attention and very much in the run, though his second round score was not to his liking. “The one under par 71 could have been 69 if the putts on 16th and 18th hole had not stopped at the lip of the hole,” he added.
The cut was made after the second round and only 44 professional contenders play the third and fourth round. As many as fourty seven participants stand eliminated. In the amateur section, Capt Anser Mehmood (Navy) is ahead with two rounds scores of 72+75=147, followed by Robin Bagh (Sargodah) at 150 (75+75), Wasim Rana (DHA) 153, (75+78) and Ali Hai (Karachi Golf Club) 153, (79+74). The senior professionals enter the competition on Saturday for a match over 36 holes.
