The title was Waheed Baloch’s to lose. He almost did, only to win it in an enthralling climax on a day where competition was fierce and twists and turns were aplenty.
Holding a five-shot leading heading into the fi-nal round of the Rashid D. Habib Memorial Na-tional Professional Golf Tournament on Sunday, Waheed was odds-on, going by his performance in three previous rounds, to clinch his first title in Ka-rachi since winning the same tournament in 2016.
That, despite defending champion and Pakistan number one Shabbir Iqbal lurking right behind him. A final-round charge by Shabbir, who’s made a career out of winning tournaments while coming from behind, was expected. Waheed wilting in the face of pressure, though, wasn’t — especially after he’d held on to the lead from the start and slowly increased it round after round.
But that’s exactly what transpired on a spell-binding day at the Karachi Golf Course, providing a grandstand finish to the first Open tournament of the year with Waheed (75) prevailing in a two-round playoff to deny Shabbir (70) a fifth tournament crown after they had finished level on 10-under 278.
“It’s a great feeling,” Waheed told Dawn after the prize distribution ceremony of the tournament organised by his former sponsor Bank Al Habib.—AFP
