Ashfaq leads in DHA Golf but gap narrowed

KARACHI: Mohammad Ashfaq remained atop the leaderboard at the DHA Karachi Cup All Pakistan Golf Championship. Barely.

Ashfaq saw his three-shot lead reduced to just one on Saturday as he failed to match his opening-day exploits, managing a 73 for a six-under 138 at the Defence Authority Golf and Country Club.

He hit three birdies but a triple-bogey on the third hole meant he just stayed ahead of Mohammad Alam (71).

Alam hit four birdies and heads into the final round just a stroke ahead of Ahmed Baig in a very tight top three.

Ahmed shot the day’s best card of 69, as he struck five birdies to set himself up for a final day charge to the title.

Mohammad Munir (71) remains a further two shots adrift in fourth, a stroke ahead of Shabbir Iqbal (72) and Zahir Shah (70).

Beyond them, six golfers are tied on 145, including Waheed Baloch and Humza Amin, with a group of six at 146. Matloob Ahmed (76) was in a group of three at 147.

National Amateur champion Omar Khalid made a spectacular recovery from his opening-round 85 as he shot a 74 to move up to 159, five shots behind leader Hamza Ghani (78) in that category.

The 16-year-old Omar attributed his poor opening-day show to the fact that he’d been busy with exams since he won the National Amateur Championship earlier this month.

Abdul Wadood (70) continued to lead the junior professionals’ category on 144 for a nine-shot lead over Haroon (74).

On the opening day of the senior professionals’ contest, Naseer Khan and Zulfiqar Ali took the lead after both fired a 73 to take a two-shot lead over a group of four golfers on 75.