Day three at Lahore Gymkhana produced a dramatic swing as Shabbir Iqbal erased a five-shot deficit to draw level with Muhammad Matloob in the 12th J A Zaman Memorial Open, setting the stage for a tense final-round duel.
Matloob began the round with a comfortable lead, but Shabbir mounted an inspired comeback, opening with four consecutive birdies on the front nine to quickly close the gap. A three-putt bogey on the ninth briefly halted his momentum, yet he kept up relentless pressure through the back nine.
The decisive stretch arrived at the 16th when Matloob’s tee shot went awry and Shabbir converted the opportunity with a birdie while Matloob made par, bringing both men level at 12-under on a 204 aggregate. Shabbir’s superb 66 was the lowest round of the day and put him squarely in contention for a record-extending seventh title.
Matloob answered like a champion with a crucial birdie at 17 to reclaim the lead, but the final hole produced more drama when his tee shot found the water. Shabbir held his nerve for a composed par, and Matloob executed an impressive recovery to salvage his score, leaving the pair tied atop the leaderboard.
Karachi’s Muhammad Zubair sits third at an aggregate of 211 (-3), followed by Muhammad Azam on 213, with a chasing group that includes Shahzeb Jahan, Muhammad Alam, Muhammad Saqib and Minhaj Maqsood. With both leaders showing elite shot-making and consistent putting, the J A Zaman final round promises a riveting head-to-head finish.
