Baig crowned National Professional Champion

Ahmed Baig emerged as the winner of the 13th Rashid D. Habib Memorial National Professional Golf Tournament 2024 which concluded on Sunday at the Karachi Golf Club (KGC).

Baig who travelled from Lahore delivered a remarkable performance throughout the tournament.

He led the event from day one, demonstrated exceptional skill, firing a gross score of 275, finishing under 13, and securing the coveted trophy. KGC’s Muhammad Zubair claimed the runner-up position in this category with an impressive six under par.

In the senior professionals category, Nisar Hussain took the trophy, with Muhammad Siddique and Muhammad Tariq securing the runner-up positions.

Muhammad Sahil and Umar Shahzad clinched the first and second positions, respectively, in the junior professional category.

A highlight of the tournament was Pakistan Air Force’s Zubair Hussain achieving an impressive hole-in-one on the second day. Using a five Iron on the red course’s seventh hole, a par three at KGC with a distance of 210 Yards, Zubair’s skillful shot earned him acclaim and a brand-new Toyota Corolla car.

Another car for the hole-in-one winner in the Local KGC Category remained unclaimed.

The 23rd edition of the tournament featured a two-day match for local KGC professionals, senior professionals, and KGC caddies, on January 16.  Shahid Malik scored 154, 10 over par, to claim the trophy for 2024. M. Javed and Kamran Zahoor were the runner-ups with 157, 13 over par in the caddies category. Ashiq Naz led the KGC Senior Professional Category with six over par, and M. Iqbal secured the second position.

In the KGC Professionals event, M. Nawaz grabbed the trophy with Ali Sher as the runner-up.

Top professionals, including Muhammad Shabbir, Baig, Muhammad Munir, and Minhaj Maqsood Waraich, received an appearance fee of PKR 100,000 each.

Additionally, PKR 150,000 was equally distributed among the top senior professionals, including Muhammad Tariq, Nisar Hussain, and Muhammad Akram.

Chief Guest, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf NI(M), T Bt, and Bank AL Habib’s Chairman, Abbas D Habib, distributed prizes amongst the winners. Admiral Naveed Ashraf commended the efforts of Bank AL Habib and KGC in hosting this popular golf event, expressing appreciation for the delightful weather in Karachi for golf.