Saad Habib Malik reaches Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship semi-finals

KARACHI: Pakistan’s Saad Habib Malik advanced to the semi-finals of the 134th Sri Lanka Amateur Golf Championship after a commanding performance in the quarterfinals at the Royal Colombo Golf Club.

Saad Habib outclassed India’s Vivaan Ubhayakar on Friday, securing victory 5 up on the 14th hole. Playing with an aggressive approach, he registered five birdies during the match to seal his place in the last four.

Pakistan’s other representative, Nouman Ilyas, could not progress further as he fell to Sri Lanka’s Reshan Algama in his quarterfinal clash.

The semi-final lineup now features Malik against Algama in what is expected to be a closely contested encounter. In the other semifinal, Sri Lankan golfers Chanaka Perera and Sachin De Silva will battle for a spot in the final.

The semi-finals are scheduled for September 27, while the 36-hole final is set to be played on September 28.

Earlier this month, Saad Habib Malik staged a sensational comeback to clinch the 64th Pakistan Amateur Golf Championship.

Habib, who slipped to 15th place after a disappointing second round that included a costly mistake on the 8th hole, fought his way back with a steady 73 in the third round.

Entering the final day in sixth position, he produced his best golf of the week—firing six birdies against two bogeys to card a 4-under-par 68.

That brought his four-round total to 294 (+6), edging out Sri Lanka’s Danushan Kanas Kumar by a single stroke.

Habib’s title charge was sealed by three consecutive birdies on the 15th, 16th, and 17th holes. “His resilience and composure under pressure were outstanding,” Pakistan Golf Federation officials praised after the victory.