Daily Times

LAHORE: Wazir Ali and Raza Khan of Lahore Gymkhana Club emerged as the front runners at the end of the second round by upstaging three out of four overnight leaders in this 54-hols, three-day 34th Millat Tractors Governor’s Cup Golf Championship at the Lahore Gymkhana Club Golf Course here Saturday. Yesterday, the first day’s leaders Hamza Asif, Ammad Naeem and Hussain Hamid felt cowed down by nerves, and on some holes the fluency and flair they displayed during the first round was gone and rusty handling of shots replaced excellence of the previous day. The resultant bogies and double bogies scarred their scores and these top ones of the first round find their names a little down the leader board at the conclusion of the second round. Hussain Hamid slipped to 7th position, Hamza to 8th position and Ammad to 9th. Out of the four leaders of the first round, Raza was the only one who survived as the super one. And with a second round score of net 71, his aggregate net score for the two rounds was 138, net six under par retaining his position on top of the prestige-loaded leader board.

And this position he shared with the established Wazir. Every shot that Wazir hit represented accuracy at its best and the other aspects like chipping and putting carried the flavor of remarkable control and quality. His hole wise performance included four birdies, fourteen regulation pars. And another outstanding aspect was that the round was bogie free. “I really felt charged up in the second round and with the Gymkhana Golf Course looking clean and elegant, the moments I spent on the golf course became memorable,” stated Wazir. “The race for the title is looking too close and though I occupy the top slot on the leader board, the competition is unnerving.”

Wazir and Raza as leaders are placed at a two day’s aggregate score of net 138 and as the championship moves into the final phase, these two feel threatened by he presence of Ahmed Zafar Hayat of Gymkhana at a net aggregate score of 139 and the stroke advantage is just one.

And Ahmed is a four handicapper capable of good golfing scores and performance and edging past competitors of ability. In the second round, Ahmed carded a round of net 68 and his overall aggregate for two rounds added up to 139 and he became a strong contender for the title.

At a score of net 140 were three contenders, Ahmed Nawaz Tiwana (Defence Raya) was one and two others were Umar Khawaja (Sialkot) and Dr Abdul Hamid Awan (Gymkhana). Tiwana played amazing golf and so did Umar and Dr Hamid. Others in line were Hussain Hamid (Royal Palm), Hamza Asif (Gymkhana) and Ammad Nadim. These three were bracketed at a score of net 141. The competing amateurs will tee off on Sunday (today) at 745hrs. In the race for honours amongst women, Zahida Durrani and Sameea Javed appeared as leaders. Also bracketed together at the second slot were, Rimsha Ijaz, Suneyah Osama and Ayesha Moazzam. Three more with good performances were Parkha Ijaz, Shahzadi Gulfam and Ayesha M Hamid. Women will play the final round today.

Published in Daily Times, October 29^th 2017.