LAHORE: Though former hockey Olympian Qayyum Rashid won a car for his feat of Hole-in-One, winner in the senior professional category was Imdad Hussain on the first day of the Punjab Open Golf Championships at the Defence Raya Golf course here on Thursday.

First day of the four-day event was reserved for senior pros and senior amateurs with pros and amateurs starting their three-day campaign for top honours from Friday.

On the first day the most exciting news was created by hockey player-turned-golfer Qayum who hit a superb tee shot on the par 3, fourth hole and the ball landed on the green and found its way into the hole after rolling about ten feet.

“It is a memorable moment for me in my entire golf career spanning over two decades,” maintained Qayum.

In the contest for top honours amongst the senior professionals, the champion of the day was, however, Garrison’s Imdad Hussain, a former Pakistan Open Title holder, who edged past Ghulam Nabi of Lahore Gymkhana with Asghar Ali of Gymkhana securing third position.

In the senior amateur category, the race for honours ended in favour of retired Col Asif Mehdi of the Garrison Golf Club with Umair Butt of the Royal Palm securing second position followed by Tariq Malik.

Published in Dawn, December 19th, 2014