Hamza , Alam, Ansar Mehmood Appear As Leaders In 49th Pakistan Open Golf

The four rounds 49th Pakistan Open Golf Championship carrying prize money of eight million rupees, endorsed and entirely backed by the national golf body, Pakistan Golf Federation, operating under the command of newly elected office bearers, commenced here at the Lahore Garrison Greens 18 holes Golf Course on Thursday.

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Dec, 2022 ) :The four rounds 49th Pakistan Open Golf Championship carrying prize money of eight million rupees, endorsed and entirely backed by the national golf body, Pakistan Golf Federation, operating under the command of newly elected office bearers, commenced here at the Lahore Garrison Greens 18 holes Golf Course on Thursday.

As the first 18 holes concluded on today evening, the front runners were three golf professionals of the country's golf circuit. Young Muhammed Alam of PAF Skyview was one and the fine and fit looking Hamza Taimur Amin of Islamabad was another. The third one was the seasoned and skilled Anser Mehmood of Margalla Greens Golf Club. For this standing of honor Alam and Hamza and Ansar owe it to exceedingly praiseworthy and enthusiastic golf play on a golf course that played long from the back tees and added to that were some tactical pin placements which tested the ability of the participating champions to the full.

M. Alam played gross 68, four under par, as did Hamza Amin and similar was the score achieved by Anser Mehmood. Alam's hole by hole performance was an eagle on the 9th hole ,birdies on holes 1,3,7,11 and 14, regulation pars on eleven holes and in between encountered a tragic ending on the par -3,6th hole which was vexing for him, though he composed himself to forgive and forget that messy moment.

Analysis of Hamza's round was birdies on holes 1,3,5,7,9,15 ,17 and 18 (eight in all), regulation pars on six holes and bogies were encountered on holes 2, 10 and a double bogie on the 8th hole.

Flow of Ansars game was six birdies, ten pars and two bogies on holes 11 and 13. These star performers of the first round seek more honors in the rounds to come.

A few others in line for top performances are Ahmed Baig (PAF Skyview), Minhaj M.Warraich (Rawalpindi) and Matloob Ahmed (Lahore Garrison). All three are bunched together at a score of gross 72 and determined to become more motivated and formidable over the rounds on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

At a score of gross 73 are placed Dilshad Ali (Karachi Golf Club), Muhammed Munir (Rawalpindi), Shahid Javed Khan (Gymkhana), Arif Ali (ptv), Muhammed Insaf (Rawalpindi), all five are professional players. Also placed at gross 73 is Irtiza Hussain, a fifteen years old amateur of Margalla Greens. He also stands out as the top performing amateur.

More professionals bracketed together at a score of gross 74 are Latif Rafiq, Khalid Khan, Waheed Baloch, Amjad Yousaf Wisal Khan, Muhammed Bilal and Noman Hussain Shah.

An amateur ,Muhammed Shoaib is also placed at gross 74.

Out of thirty five amateurs only six made the cut .They are Irtiza Hussain, M.Shoaib ,Salman Jehangir, Saad Habib, M.Arsalan and Capt Zain ur rehman.

The tee off for second round will take place at 645 am on Saturday at Lahore Garrison Greens Golf Course.