KARACHI: After competing in the 16th CNS Open, country’s leading golfers shift their focus on the 13th Sindh Open Golf Championship which tees-off at the Arabian Sea Country Club (ASCC) here on Friday (today). The event carries a rich purse of Rs 1 million for the 54-hole Open doled out by sponsors and another Rs0.2 million for the 36-hole senior pros contributed by the Sindh Golf Association (SGA). This time the purse for the senior pros has been enhanced from Rs 150,000 to Rs 200,000. Country’s ace golfer Shabbir Iqbal, who won the CNS Open crown for an overall seventh time on Sunday, will be the main attraction. The 34-year-old golfer of Pakistan Navy has completed a hat-trick of victories in the Sindh Open last year and look determined to stretch his run.Other notable golfers who will be vying for the Open crown include Matloob Ahmed, who finished runner-up in the CNS Open, Mohammad Tariq, Imdad Hussain and locals Javed Inayat, Waheed Baloch and Amjad Yousuf. Waseem Rana, a former Sindh Open champion, and winner of CNS amateur title Sajid Khan are tipped to dominate the amateur event in the absence of seasoned Ali Hai who is indisposed and doctors have advised him rest.
Pakistan Golf Federation (PGF) secretary general Taimur Hasan, and another PGF official and former international golfer Mahmood Aziz have specially come to the city to feature in the contest. In addition, Asad IA Khan, will also be seen in action in the event which concludes on Sunday. The 54-holes Open and amateurs will run concurrently for three days while the 36-hole senior pros will be played on Friday and Saturday. – Dailytimes
