CNS Golf Open Championship: Munir in the lead on opening day

Baloch, Shahid follow in the third and fourth spots respectively.

KARACHI: Islamabad-based golfer Muhammad Munir took the lead with a score of seven-under-par 65 on the opening day of the UMA 20th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Golf Open Championship at the Karachi Golf Club (KGC) on Thursday.

Munir was on target right from the beginning and proved to be a better contender as he fired five birdies on the third, seventh, 12th, 13th and 16th holes with an eagle on the 17th to score his seven-under-par 65.

However, the three-round championship is still wide open with Waleed Baloch and Ahmed Shahid Murtaza ending the day a stroke behind in third and fourth spots respectively at six-under-par (66).

Baloch, who had a day of mixed fortunes — three bogies, seven birdies and an eagle — says he hoped for a better show in the next round. “I hope I will be able to avoid such setbacks in the remaining two rounds of the event,” he told The Express Tribune.

Others in the top 10 include Matloob Ahmed on fourth with five-under-par (67) followed by Muhammad Khursheed, Ansar Mehmood, and Muhammad Nazir in fifth, sixth and seventh positions respectively with four-under-par (68). Nadeem Inayat, Adil Jahangir, Muhammad Ashfaq with a score of three-under-par (69) are in eight, ninth and 10th spots.

Meanwhile, defending champion Shabbir Iqbal managed to score two-over-par (74) to finish the day on 54th and said he was looking to enter the top 10 in the next three rounds. “Today was not my day but tomorrow I hope to score birdies and eagles to catch up with the leading pack,” said Shabbir.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 7^th,  2015.

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