Daily Times

LAHORE: The inaugural President PGA Open Golf Championship, endorsed by Punjab Golf Association, commences at the PAF Skyview Golf Course here on Monday (today). This championship stretches over six days from July 20 to 15, with first three days reserved for competitive golfing activity amongst golf professionals while the last three days will be a race for success between amateur players, both men and women. Noticeable is a change in the format of the championship and henceforth all open championships held as per PGF annual golf calendar will have separate segments for professionals’ exclusively and the amateur category golfers will be in action on other days. Over the first three days, the professionals are expected to beam in terms of excellence and reap cash rewards. A revealing and purposeful characteristic of this championship is that eligibility for participation is restrictive and open only to the top hundred ranked professionals of Pakistan, top 30 senior professionals who are aged 50 years and above and top 15 junior professionals falling in the age bracket 21 years and below. That makes this championship an all professional entanglement between dexterous, skillful and masterly golf playing torch bearers of the national scene, who have time and again proved their competence and artistry.

As a result of the introduction of this format, the top professionals feel admired and acclaimed and hope that with this facilitation the flow of the golf game during the three rounds of golfing hostilities will become high spirited and lively. And in the past when there was a mix of professionals and amateurs competing together, the more prominent leading players would yearn for an unruffled flow of game which yields assured shot making and other elements like perfectly timed fairway shots, accurate chipping to the greens from short distances and above all sublime putting on the greens. The prize money is wholesome and on offer is the sum of Rs.6.5 million to top performers, an ancillary allurement is a car for the first hole in one and a Honda 125 motorcycle for the second hole in one .