ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: There was a two-way tie for lead in the professional category of the COAS Open Championship at the Rawalpindi Golf Club on Saturday as Irfan Mahmood and Muhammad Saddique finished the second day with an aggregate of two under par 142.

Irfan, of the host club, who was in third position going into the second day, followed up his Friday’s one under par 71 with another similar round.

He doubled bogeyed twice on the par 3 second hole and the par 4 seventh hole while striking a birdie on the 9th while Saddique of Lyallpur Golf Club carded par 72 after his opening day’s two under 70.

Saddique, joint second with Tahir Naseem on the first day, birdied once going out, on the second hole, and had another two on the back nine. He had three bogeys.

In joint second position were Matloob Ahmed and Imdad Hussain with an aggregate of one under par 143.

Matloob, the overnight leader could not match his opening round of three under 69 and had a score of two over par 74 while Imdad did well with a round of 69.

Muhammad Munir of Islamabad and Lahore Gymkhana’s Arshad Ali were locked in third place with an aggregate total of par 144.

In the amateur net competition which is being contested for the main COAS Trophy, Lt Col Asif Mehdi was on top with a net score of 139 over two days while Omer Imtiaz and Wng Cdr Ehtesham who had net scores of 146 were both second.

A stroke behind in third position was Hamza Amin, the defending champion and the son famous golfer Taimur Hassan whose score over two days was 147. He was however in a tie with Tariq Akbar and overnight leader Karim Khan Satti.

Taimur himself however led the field in the amateur gross event striking par 72 for a two-day gross total of 147 followed by Lt. Col Asif Mehdi who was 149. Shahid Javed occupied third spot with a score of 152.

Scores:

Professionals (over two days) 1. Irfan Mahmood, Muhammad Saddique 142, 2. Imdad Hussain and Matloob Ahmed 143, 3. Arshad Ali and Muhammad Munir 144.

Amateurs net (over two days): 1. Lt. Col Asif Mehdi 139, 2. Umer Imtiaz and Wng Cdr Ehtesham 146, 3. Hamza Amin, Tariq Akbar and Karim Khan Satti

Amateurs gross (over two days): 1. Taimur Hassan 147, 2. Lt. Col Asif 149, 3. Shahid Javed Khan 152

Seniors amateurs (net) 1. M. Saddiq 141, 2. ME Paracha 143 (decided on countback), 3. Lt. Col Zaheer 143.

Seniors amateurs (gross): 1. Brig Abdul Ghafoor Raja 159, 2. AVM Abbas Mirza 159, 3. AW Afridi 171

Ladies net (first day): Tahira Nazir 75, Uzma Nazir 78, Rubab Haider 79

Ladies gross: Tahira Nazir, Mehvish Javed, Jamila Jabbar.