LAHORE:The 1st President PGA Open Golf Championship 2023 went into a golfing combat and engaged in high toned golf action were the top 100 golf professionals of Pakistan here at the immaculate PAF Skyview Golf Arena.
At the end of the first round in this three rounds event involving only the golf professionals, Muhammad Shahzad of Lahore Garrison and Waheed Baloch of Karachi Golf Club appeared as the distinguished ones by virtue of a brilliant first round similar score of four under par 68. Shahzad scored a 68 as did Waheed.
The field includes the nationally acclaimed Muhammad Shabbir, and the celebrated ones like Mohammad Matloob, Muhammed Munir and Shahid Javed Khan, so the first round deeds of Shahzad and Waheed need to be admired and endorsed as it enabled them to radiate as top performers while the super ones languish behind the leaders.
In the past few open golf championships, whenever Shabbir competed he created an awe thereby curbing the chances of many strong combatants, but today, Monday after a long time Shabbir was not able to embrace the top of the leader board.
Right from the start, Muhammad Shahzad looked unperturbed and as the holes were completed he thrived by playing stunning golf.
Along the way he birdied the 3rd hole, the 6th hole and then the 8th and on the back nine lost a stroke on the 12th hole. Shahzad birdied the 17th and 18th holes and encountered a bogey on the 12th hole. Hardly bothered by this set back, Shahzad remained sufficiently calm to regain his rhythm and birdied closing 17th and 18th holes. His card of 68, four under par can be graded as appreciative. “The golf course was just fascinating,” he said and added, “I enjoyed playing crisp and accurate shots from the fairways”. “Indeed PAF Team have prepared the golf course amply well”.
As for his leaderboard mate Waheed Baloch, the first round has been an illustrious one. Helped by six birdies, ten regulation pars and two unwanted bogies, Waheed remained a paramount one of the first day and hopes to remain a formidable one in the remaining days.
Two strokes in arrears is a matured golf professional of our national golf circuit, Muhammad Nazir of Rawalpindi Golf Club. During the first round his rhythm was good but failed to cause ripples of stunning golf a feature that is expected of him.
Other performers in the professional section are Mudassir Iqbal (Karachi ), Kamran Shafiq (Gymkhana), Muhammad Alam and Usman Ali (Lahore Garrison ), Umair Saleem (Garrison Greens) and the herculean one Muhammad Shabbir (Islamabad). They are all together at a score of gross 71, one under par .
At a score of par-72 are Kashif Masih, Muhammad Saqib and Mohammad Matloob (all from Lahore Garrison) and Muhammad Asif from Defence Raya. Six competitors are bunched together at a score of gross 73. They are Shahid Javed Khan, Abdul Zahoor, Muhammad Azam, Muhammad Zubair, Jafal Hussain and Muhammad Sajjad.
The contest is wide open and the second round promises exciting competitive flow.
Senior professionals and junior professionals will tee off today and compete over two rounds. In the professional section a cut will be placed at the conclusion of the second round tomorrow Tuesday.