LAHORE, Jan 18: A 16-handicapper Ali Ahmad of Lahore Gymkhana carded a net score of five under-par-67 to emerge as the first  day leader of the Quaid-i-Azam Amateur golf championship which teed-off at the Lahore Gymkhana course Friday.

Ali, however, did not play impressively as  completed the  front nine hole at eight over-par-43 and the back at three over-par-40.

Danayal Aziz (14 handicapper) also of Lahore  Gymkhana  was in  the second slot with a net score of four  under-par-68 (36+46).

With two under-par-70, Asad Khawar (10  handicapper),  Hamayun Mian  (Multan, 15 handicapper) and Faisal Malik  (Bahawalpur,  16 handicapper) were joint at the third position.

One stroke behind, Ali Azar and Mian Tariq Pervez  of  Lahore Gymkhana and both having 17 handicap each were sharing the fourth spot.

Similarly, the three  handicapper Imran Ahmed (Lahore Gymkhana) and Omer Azim (Lahore Gymkhana) were equal at the fifth position at par-72.

In the gross section, Tariq Mehmood (Islamabad) earned ended the two over-par-74 (36+38) to take the lead on first day.  Tariq registered lone birdie at the 15th while lost three  strokes  at 3rd, 17th and the 18th.

Imran Ahmed (Lahore Gymkhana) was chasing the leader with  a difference of only one stroke. Imran who took a good  start by  completing  the first journey at par-35  was  sluggish  while completing the second nine hole as did it at three  over-par-40. He earned two birdies one each at the 3rd and the  5th  but  lost stroke at the 2nd, 9th, 13th, 14th and the 15th.

At six over-par-78, Mir Maaz Mahmood and Mohammad Safdar both of the Lahore Gymkhana were in third position.

Gulrez  Shahid (Islamabad) with a gross score of seven  over- par-79 was at the fourth position.

Surprisingly the reigning national champion Shahid Javed Khan was in fifth position after finishing the round eight  over-par-80 to  be bracketed with  Asad Khawar (Lahore Gymkhana).

First day’s scores:

Net: Ali Ahmed (67), Danayal Aziz (68), Asad Khawar,  Hamayun Mian, Faisal Malik (70), Ali Azar, Mian Tariq Pervez (71),  Imran Ahmed, Omer Azim (72).

Gross:  Tariq  Mehmood  (74),  Imran  Ahmed  (75),  Mir  Maaz Mahmood,  Mohammad Safdar (78), Gulrez Shahid (79), Asad  Khawar, Shahid Javed Khan (80).