Pakistan’s golf participant Saad Habib Malik in motion throughout 134th Sri Lanka Newbie Golf Championship. — Reporters
KARACHI: Pakistan’s Saad Habib Malik completed runner-up on the 134th Sri Lanka Newbie Golf Championship after shedding a tense playoff to native favorite Chanaka Perera on the Royal Colombo Golf Membership.
The ultimate, performed over 36 holes, noticed Habib trailing by three strokes after the primary spherical. The younger Pakistani golfer staged a exceptional comeback, levelling the match within the opening holes of the second spherical and holding the competition tied till the end.
Habib was unfortunate on the seventeenth gap, the place he missed a putt by only a few inches that would have given him the lead. With each gamers even after 36 holes, the championship was determined in a playoff.
Perera, benefitting from his familiarity with the house course, edged Habib within the playoff to carry the title. Habib’s strong driving and iron play had been offset by missed alternatives on the greens, whereas Perera’s confidence in placing on acquainted turf proved essential.
Habib’s street to the ultimate included dominant wins earlier within the week. He thrashed Sri Lanka’s M.D. Sanjeewa 7/6 within the spherical of 16, overcame Jacob Norton 3/2, and outplayed India’s Vivaan Ubhayakar to safe a quarterfinal win. Within the semifinal, he beat Sri Lanka’s rising junior Reshan Algama 3/2 to succeed in the decider.
Regardless of falling brief within the playoffs, Habib’s robust exhibiting underscored his rising presence in regional golf.