KARACHI: Pakistan’s Saad Habib Malik finished runner-up at the 134th Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship after losing a tense playoff to local favourite Chanaka Perera at the Royal Colombo Golf Club.
The final, played over 36 holes, saw Habib trailing by three strokes after the first round. The young Pakistani golfer staged a remarkable comeback, levelling the match in the opening holes of the second round and keeping the contest tied until the finish.
Habib was unlucky on the 17th hole, where he missed a putt by just a few inches that could have given him the lead. With both players even after 36 holes, the championship was decided in a playoff.
Perera, benefitting from his familiarity with the home course, edged Habib in the playoff to lift the title. Habib’s solid driving and iron play were offset by missed opportunities on the greens, while Perera’s confidence in putting on familiar turf proved crucial.
Habib’s road to the final included dominant wins earlier in the week. He thrashed Sri Lanka’s M.D. Sanjeewa 7/6 in the round of 16, overcame Jacob Norton 3/2, and outplayed India’s Vivaan Ubhayakar to secure a quarterfinal win. In the semifinal, he beat Sri Lanka’s rising junior Reshan Algama 3/2 to reach the decider.
Despite falling short in the playoffs, Habib’s strong showing underscored his growing presence in regional golf.
