Habib's winning habit!

There’s something in the South Yorkshire air that undoubtedly suits Huddersfield’s Habib Khan. Having backed up his 2023 victory in the Lee Westwood Trophy at Rotherham by retaining it in 2024 running, he was asked what it was about the Thrybergh track.

“I think it’s Sheffield golf courses I like!” he laughed.

And indeed so because Khan, who just turned 20 in July, won the Danny Willett Salver over four rounds at Lindrick and Worksop back in May, shooting -4 and seeing off Ganton’s Jack Northgraves by two shots.

So, is a move southwards away from the family home in Wyke in store for the golfer who played at Willow Valley from the tender age of four prior to moving to Huddersfield two years ago?

“You never know!”

In winning last year he was three strokes behind Silkstone’s Matt Guest after the morning round, but stayed solid to edge the title by a single shot. Rotherham certainly evokes an air of confidence in the young man.

“Last year I was on the putting green and I said to my dad, ‘I’m going to win this!’ and again this year, I just felt really good about things.”

In defending the 2024 Westwood Trophy he was last out alongside the lowest handicapper in the field – home golfer Charlie Daughtrey – although Khan subsequently dropped lower than the Yorkshire Men’s stalwart, to +3.4

This time he found himself the front-runner after a morning -2 round of 68, a couple in front of his playing partner who opened with a level par 70.

For a while it looked like being an afternoon stroll in the park. Khan went bogey-free for 26 holes as he stretched his lead at one point to six shots, standing at -5 against Daughtrey’s +1. Cue the Rotherham man’s gutsy fightback.

Khan takes up the story: “He gained four shots on me in three holes, as he went birdie, birdie, birdie [from 9th to 11th] and I went bogey-par-par.”

Nerves?

“It did get me for a bit. On the 15th hole we both hit decent tee shots. It’s an extreme dogleg left and we both took irons, but he took more of the dogleg on and was 40-yards ahead of me.

“I pushed my second shot and made bogey ... Charlie was through the green and chipped to about two feet, but missed the putt to also make bogey. That was a big sense of relief.

“On the next tee [16th, par 3] I hit it right but he put it on the front of the green and holed it from 60-feet for his birdie. I had a 15-footer for par but I holed it to stay two ahead with two to play.

“On 17 I hit a bad tee shot right again, onto the other fairway. I then flew the green by about 20 yards with the pin right at the front. Charlie put his second to about 8-feet, but I managed to get up and down and he missed the birdie putt, meaning I had a 2-shot lead going down the last.

“We both hit the fairway, then I just made sure I put it on the green and two-putted.

“It was pretty special seeing off Charlie on his home turf, but also Lucas Martin, another Rotherham member, who came third.”

Special indeed.

Ganton’s Northgraves was one shot behind Lucas Martin, with Daniel Clark-Coates, James Bailey and Nyle Challinor all one further back on +5.

Khan works at the Willow Valley club where dad Ahsan is a lifelong member and former captain, still very handy playing off 6.8. His son credits the move to Huddersfield as helping grow his game, mixing among more experienced and lower handicap golfers on a tougher course.

And the future?

“I’m going to try to play a few more Clutch Tour events next year, see how I go, how I match up against players who are doing it for their livelihood, their bread and butter, and see what the difference is and what I can improve on.

“I think I’m playing consistently enough that I can compete. I’ll have a good winter’s practice and see how I do next year.”

And no doubt be back at Rotherham GC next summer looking for a three-peat!