Omar Khalid becomes first amateur to win Sindh Open Golf Championship

KARACHI: Amateur golfer Omar Khalid made history by becoming the first amateur to secure the overall Sindh Open Golf Championship title, finishing ahead of a field that included several professional players.

Khalid completed the 54-hole event at seven-under par, topping both the overall leaderboard and the amateur standings. He ended the championship two strokes clear of leading professional Minhaj Maqsood.

Although he did not claim the overall crown, Maqsood won the professional category with a five-under-par total. Matloob Ahmed placed second among the professionals at four-under par.

In the amateur section, Sharan Ali Khan finished second, while Syed Rayan Ahmed took third place.

Latest milestone in growing career

The Sindh Open triumph adds another landmark to Khalid’s career. At the age of 16, he became the youngest player to win the Pakistan National Amateur Golf Championship and later rose to become Pakistan’s youngest-ever No. 1 amateur golfer.

His achievements also include success in the United States, where he remains the only Pakistani golfer to win a professional tournament. He captured the Fendrich Open in Evansville, Indiana, with a 14-under-par aggregate over 36 holes after rounds of 61 and 65.

Recent progress in US collegiate golf

Khalid is currently competing in NCAA Division I collegiate golf in the United States. He recently became the first Pakistani golfer to earn NCAA All-Conference honours after finishing on the podium at the Missouri Valley Conference Men’s Golf Championship in Illinois.

After two successful seasons at the University of Evansville, he is due to join Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, in August following his transfer.

International record

Among his other milestones, Khalid is the first and only Pakistani golfer to make the cut at a United States Golf Association event, achieving that mark at the US Junior Amateur Championship at Bandon Dunes, Oregon.

He also holds the record for the biggest winning margin in the Faldo Series Pakistan, having won the title by 40 strokes.

On the international stage, Khalid has registered a fourth-place finish at the Qatar Open Golf Championship in Doha. He has also represented Pakistan at the Asian Games, the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and the World Amateur Team Championship for the Eisenhower Trophy.