LAHORE, March 23: Muhammad Munir went through another play-off, this time emerged successful, to capture the All-Pakistan Garrison golf championships at the Garrison course on Wednesday.
Carving his way with eight birdies and conceding only three strokes, Munir finished the final day with an excellent card of five-under-par-67 to make two-day aggregate five-under-par-139.
But Munir saw Talib Husain, with whom he was trailing
at the third position on Tuesday, also carded 67 to match him at 139. To decide the winner
both again entered the field
for a play- off on par-4’s holes
10 and 11. They finished
equal on the 10th completing it at par.
But Talib conceded a stroke at the 11th while Munir was at par to win fourth title this year.
Last week, Munir had faced Shafique Masih in the play-off in the 8th Faysal Bank championships at the Lahore Gymkhana but lost.
“I have no pressure of my last defeat to Shafique. I played my strokes with great ease and finally won the title,” Munir told Dawn.
“The course was difficult on Tuesday but it was excellent today and helped me a lot to come from third to first,” he said.
Munir who started the day from the 10th hole but did not get a good start losing a stroke each on the 10th, 13th and the 14th.
The start could not press panic button for him as he steadied his game and bagged three birdies on the 15th, 17th and the 18th to finish the first nine holes at par-36.
Munir found his rhythm and romped home with five birdies, one each on the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 7th and the 9th to do it five-under- par-31.
Talib, however, was the more consistent. He had five birdies (4th, 5th, 7th, 12th, 13th), three at the outward journey and two at the inward and had no bogey. But he seemed overawed by the occasion while facing Munir in the play-off and lost. Munir pocketed Rs43,375 and the trophy.
A fine card of four-under-par-68 by Shabbir Iqbal helped him earn third spot with aggregate 141 (73,68).
He birdied on the 5th, 6th, 9th, 15th and the 18th and bogied on the 13th.
One stroke behind, Shafique Masih, the joint leader with Javed Inayat on Tuesday, went down to the fourth place, to share it with Muhammad Tariq and Mahrooz Ilyas.
“My start was bad. I could not control the situation and lost,” Shafique said who won his first title last week. Six players were tied at the fourth position with 145.
Shahid Javed, the defending champion, was unimpressive as he had two-day aggregate of 146 (75,71) and failed to make the top 10. Zulifqar Ali won the amateur gross event.
He and Shafiq Bhatti had aggregate 153 each.
But Zulifqar was declared winner for producing a card of four-over-76 as against seven-over-79 posted by Shafiq on the final day.
A 12-handicapper, Ikram won the net event.
Mrs Jameela Jabbar won the women’s gross event while Mehreen Raheel the net.
Results:
Professionals:
139- Mohammad Munir (PTCL) 72,67; Talib Husain (Isb) 72,67.
141-Shabbir Iqbal (Isb) 73, 68.
142-Shafique Masih (Harvest) 70,72; Muhammad Tariq (PTCL) 71,71; Mahrooz Ilyas (Gymkhana) 75,67.
145-Mahmood Kiyani (PTV) 72,73; Arshad Ali (UBL) 72,73; Akhtar Ali (Police) 72,73; Asghar Ali (Police); Imdad Husain (Garrison).
