Shabbir takes lead on day one of Rashid Habib Memorial

Defending champion posts five under-par, while Matloob is second with three under-par

KARACHI: Defending champion Muhammad Shabbir Iqbal leads the first round of the Bank Al Habib’s 7th Rashid D Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Championship with his five under-par at the Karachi Golf Club (KGC) on Thursday.

Iqbal’s five under-par puts him top of 106 golfers who are vying for the tournament’s Rs6 million prize money.

Matloob Ahmed of Lahore Garrison Golf follows Shabbir with a score of three under-par (69) and Azam Khan from Quetta is third position alongside Ahmed Saeed and Amjad Yousuf of Karachi Golf Club with scores of two under-par (70).

Golfers from all over Pakistan played under partly cloudy conditions with clear visibility. The excellent condition of the course means the players were able to attack the pin because of the hold on the greens despite the wind.

This year’s main tournament is being played over 72 holes from January 11-14 with a cut over the final two days as per Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) rules. Senior and junior professionals will also be playing in their respective categories.

Appearance money amounting to Rs500,000 will be distributed among the top five golfers of Pakistan. The golfers have three more days to down a hole-in-one, earning themselves a brand new car in the process. The final round will be played on January 14.