LAHORE – The Pakistan Golf Federation-backed Smart City 62nd National Amateur Golf Championship brings glad tidings for the Pakistan Team as they win the International Team Match by beating players from Sri Lanka and also the Pakistan B Team players.
This International Team Match Contest was played over two days (36 holes) and the Pakistan Team A comprising of Salman Jehangir and Qasim Ali Khan emerged as victorious with two rounds aggregate scores of 300. Their main adversaries from Sri Lanka – RAU Akash Priyamantha and MH Chalitha Pushpika had to be content with the runners-up position with a team aggregate score of 308. Pakistan Team B, including Omar Khalid and Hussain Hamid, also achieved the score of 308 but Sri Lanka was awarded runners-up position as one of their players had a better score in the second round. This was in accordance with the Championship Rules.
The National Golf Championships are always loaded with twists and turns and in keeping with that pattern, the second round of this Smart City 62nd National Golf Championship at the Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course saw quite a few strong aspirants fall out of the race for success as they lost strokes with gay abandon either through inaccurate hitting or lack of crispness in their approach shots to the green.
The new leader, at the end of the second round, remains M Shoaib of Lahore Gymkhana, who came up with a feast of stroke making and during the 18 holes on Thursday. He bore the pressure well and translated his potential into a score that helps him to retain top position on the leaderboard. His two rounds scores was 71 and 73 with an aggregate of 144. Placed three strokes behind him are Salman Jehangir and Ahmed Zafar Hayat. Salman is at 147 by virtue of two rounds scores of 72 and 75 while Ahmed owes his meritorious position with two rounds scores of 76 and 71.
Others hoping to stay in the winning loop after their two rounds effort are Chalitha Pushpika of Sri Lanka followed by Nouman Ilyas and Danyaal Jehangir (Gymkhana). Chalitha is placed at an aggregate score of 151 and Nouman and Danyaal are at 152. At 153 are Qasim Ali Khan (Pakistan) and Dean Naime (Egypt). Just one stroke behind at 154 are Hussain Hamid, Omar Khalid, Umair Saleem, Sameer Iftikhar and Saad Habib Malik.
In the Inter Provincial Team Match, Punjab Golf Association Team is in the forefront with two rounds team scores of 451, followed by Federal Golf Association Team A at 467 and Sind Golf Association at 469. In Inter Association Team Match for Senior Amateurs, Punjab Team comprising of Sardar Murad, Tariq Mehmood, Air Cdre Tariq Usman and Col Asif Mehdi (Captain) won the title with a team score of 475. Runners-up were Sind Golf Association composed of Khurram Khan, Azhar Abbas, Khalid Jameel Siddiqui and MA Mannan with a team score of 507.
In ladies event, the total entrants numbered 22 with two from Qatar namely Eve Sofia Garvey (handicap 4) and Nida Mir (handicap 1). Tremendously excited about their chances, the lady contestants played the first round of 18 holes devotedly enough and demonstrated good rhythm in their golf swings. Leading contenders after first 18 holes were Humna Amjad and Parkha Ijaz bracketed as leaders with a gross score of 77. Aania Farooq Syed is at 79.
Others carded modest scores. Suneya Osama had a round of 85 and Eve Sofiya Garvey (Qatar) also played 85. Amina Tiwana played 87 as did Ana James Gill. Dania Syed and Bushra Fatima scored 88. Those, who lag behind, are Ghazala Yasmin, Zain un Nisa and Nida Mir (Qatar). The third round of the event will be played today (Friday) and final round on Saturday.
