Daily Times

LAHORE: Javed A Khan of Lahore Gymkhana Club managed to overcome the challenge posed by his seasoned and skillful club mates Shoaib Bokhari and Imran Ahmed with a decent looking first round gross score of 79 to capture the senior amateur title in the 35th Punjab Amateur Golf Championship in progress at the Lahore Gymkhana Club Golf Course here Thursday. Considering that this was a race amongst the seniors over 55 years of age but less than 70, the competitive touch was sharp indeed and victory for Javed came through steady application of golfing skills. During the 18 holes of the contest, Javed remained accurate off the tees and his short game was flair oriented which gave him the required advantage of ending with a better score as compared to his adversaries. No doubt, Shoaib and Imran remained in the run for most part of the 18 holes but somehow missed putts on the closing holes cost them the first position. Shoaib ended the golfing battle as the runner-up with a gross score of 81 while Imran was third gross. Shoaib and Imran had a similar score of gross 81 but the second position tilted Shoaib’s way as a result of a better score on the back nine.

The seniors’ net section was dominated by Ishfaq Khalid of Gymkhana Club who played to his handicap and won the first net with a score of 72. Certainly, Ishfaq is a player with an adept touch and a mind free of nerves. These faculties helped him achieve the first net position and in the process he defeated Asad Hameed by one stroke and Dr Hamid Awan by two strokes. Asad was second net and Dr Hameed was third. The championship moves into the battle of champions from Friday (today). Over the next three days, it is the established champions of the national golf scene who will be pitched against each other. Muhammad Rehman of Royal Palm is a zero handicapper and he is considered the man to beat. Full of talent and loaded with golfing skills, this young one will go all out to win the35th Punjab Amateur Golf title 2017. And pursuing him will be Taimoor Khan of Peshawar, Zubair Khan of PAF, Muhammad Saqib of Garrison Club and Ahmed Baig also of Garrison Club. Other mentionable with the capacity to pose a challenge are Damil Ataullah, just fourteen years old and players like the long hitting Salman Jehangir, experienced Mohsin Zafar and successful ones of the recent past Robin Bagh, Ashiq Hussain and Muhammad Mushtaq. The tee off for the amateurs will be at 7:30 am.

Published in Daily Times, November 24^th 2017.