Daily Times

LAHORE:The Defence Raya Golf and Country Club earned the distinction of holding the first Monthly Medal Golf Tournament on Sunday partially under bright sunlight and partially under floodlights. Because of the intense heat the tee off took place at 4:30pm and later when the sun faded away, the lights went on and the eighteen holes championship concluded under lights affording the competing golfers relief from the intense heat and enabling them to perform with more control and command of their golfing abilities. The first day, yesterday, was reserved for the seniors category competition and this will be followed on Monday (today) in a competition for champion amateurs who will show their skills in a craving and longing to win honours.

In the race for supremacy among seniors, the champion who added luster to the occasion was Asif Mehdi who came up with a remarkable round of gross 72, displaying accuracy in shot making that is normally attributable to young amateur golfers of repute and ability. Throughout the eighteen holes, during sunlight and in the later part under lights, Asif remained a figure of merit and standing and did not hit a single wayward shot. Equally brilliant was his short game around the greens and putting on the greens. And in this way he becomes a part of history for having become the first golfer to produce a score of par 72 under floodlights at the admirable and distinguished Defence Raya Golf Course in Lahore.

Others who performed well in the senior section gross category were Shafiq Bhatti, Mohammad Ikram and Mohammad Shafi. And in the net section of seniors category, Tahir Mehmood performed to perfection with a net score of 65, followed by Mughis Bokhari who managed a net score of 70. The amateurs will compete today under sunlight and floodlit conditions and for them it will be a day to remember at the floodlit Defence Raya Golf Course. Much is expected from players like Azfar Hassan, Nasir Irshad, Jamal Nasir, Amir Chaudhary and Qaiser Ali Khan.

Published in Daily Times, June 25^th 2018.