LAHORE: The three rounds and 54 holes 41st Punjab Open Golf Championship 2022 supported by Punjab Golf Association came to a most pleasing conclusion for Mohammad Ashfaq, a golf professional of Karachi Airmen Golf Club, at wondrous and sublime PAF Skyview Golf Course here.
The winner outclassed colossally talented golf professionals like Shabbir Iqbal, Matloob Ahmed, Ahmed Baig and a few others to achieve overwhelming victory.
At the start of the final round today on Sunday, Ashfaq who has yet to attain the leading light status in the national golf arenas of Pakistan, was placed one stroke behind three leaders, Shabbir Iqbal, Matloob Ahmed and Shahid Javed and not many predicted that the ultimate winner will be someone other than Shabbir or Matloob or even Shahid. But the purposeful and resolute Ashfaq had other plans.
As the competitive activity in the final 18 holes progressed, noticeable was Ashfaq’s brilliance and his score was adorned with birdies and regulation pars .And when the final 18 holes came to an end his score of gross 67 represented an illuminated effort, giving him a commendable aggregate score of 206, ten under par plus elevating him to the star status of the title bearing event and compelling four other bright ones to accept the consoling runners up second position. While Ashfaq emerged as the Punjab Open Champion, established ones like Shahid Javed, Matloob Ahmed, Tallat Ijaz and A.Zahoor were bracketed at a championship aggregate score of 208, two shots behind Ashfaq.
The top ten positions in Professional Category; Ashfaq (Airmen Golf Club) 68+71+67=206; Shahid Javed (Gymkhana) 68+70+70=208;Matloob Ahmed (Garrison)69+69+70=208;Tallat Ijaz (Gymkhana) 69+70+69=208; A.Zahoor (Multan)68+72+68=208; M.Naeem (Peshawar)72+69=69=210; M.Shabbir (Islamabad)68+70+73=211; Ashiq Hussain (Multan )72+72+68=212;M.Alam (Garrison)73+71+68=212; M.Sajjad (AGC)71+71+71=213;
Amateur Category Champion was Salman Jehangir with three rounds scores of 70,73 and 73 and an aggregate of 216.Qasim Ali Khan ended up as runners up .His scores were 76,71 and 73 and the aggregate was 220.Damil Ataullah came third ,scores being 73,76 and 72 and a match total of 221.Net section winners were Nosherwan, first net ,Mohammad Shoaib, second net and Ahmed Jibran ,third net.
A big development for ladies golf in Pakistan is that they are a part of World Amateur Golf Rankings and their performances are under review perpetually. The requirement they have to meet is to compete over 54 holes instead of the usual 36 holes. In this championship the top lady competitors contested over 54 holes and the results were;Hamna Amjad (AGC) 75+82+77=234;first arkha Ijaz (Defence Raya) 77+79+80=236;second;Aania Farooq (AGC) 76+82+79=237;third ;Suneya Osama (Garrison)91+87+81=259;fourth;
Results of other Ladies events; Hadia Osama, first gross; Shahzadi Gulfam, second gross; Dr Fouzia, third gross; Dr Shaheen Irfan, first net; Minna Zainab ,second net;Aliha Amjad ,third net;
Winner of Senior Professionals Event was Muhammed Akram ;Junior Professional Event Winner was M.Sahil; The winner in Senior Professional Category was Air Cdre Tariq Usman Abbas ;Invitational Category Winners;GP Capt Asim Hafeez ,first gross ;Tariq Usman ,2nd gross;Sqn Ldr Sheraz Wahab ,3rd Gross ;Capt Ali Ejaz ,first net ;Ch Amir Akram ,2nd net;Brig Irfan Iftikhar ,3rd net;
At the conclusion of the event the prizes were awarded to top performers by Air Vice Marshal Tariq Mehmood Ghazi SI(M) in the presence of Air Commodore Muhammad Imran Pervaiz, Vice President ,PAF Skyview Sports Complex, Brig Sajid Akram (r)Honorary Secretary ,Punjab Golf Association, Col Asif Mehdi of PGA, Dr Asma Shami, Head of Ladies Golf, golf professionals and participating players .The guest of honor also announced a reward for the green keepers who had brought excellence to the golf course playing conditions
