LAHORE, Sept 26: Muhammad Akram (Lahore Gymkhana) and Tahir Naseem (Wapda) carded a five-under-67 each to emerge as joint leaders on first day of the Bank Al falah-Quaid-i-Azam Open Golf Championship at the Lahore Gymkhana golf course on Friday.
Tahir, who earned seven birdies would have been the sole leader, had he not lost two strokes at the 4th and the 11th.
Tahir completed the first nine hole at three-under-34 with birdies at the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and the 8th and a bogey at the 4th.
He did the last nine with three more birdies but conceded an extra stroke at the 11th to finish the day.
Akram was most consistent with six birdies and a bogey. Akram completed first nine at two-under-35. He faltered first at the 3rd to concede a stroke. Thereafter, he displayed skillful game and most cautiously earned six birdies at the 4th, 7th, 8th, 11th, 15th and the 17th to come at par with Tahir.
Arshad Ali (UBL) and Muhammad Tariq (PTCL) also bracketed at the second position with identical score of four-under-68.
Arshad played a flawless game and completed the outer and inward rounds with 34 strokes, each. He had earned three birdies at the end of the first nine hole and added one at the back as he had not loss a stroke.
Tariq, also played well but a bogey at the end (the 17th hole) deprived him a chance to join the leaders’ club by short of one stroke. Tariq birdied at the 1st, 4th, 7th, 15th and the 16th.
One stroke away, Imdad Hussain (Lahore Garrison) and Abbas Ali (Lahore Gymkhana) were also tied at the third position.
Imdad, a seasoned golfer, finished the first nine holes at 35 and the back at 34. Imdad, who had made three birdies at the first round without any bogey, was somewhat erratic while coming back.
He was at home with three birdies at the 11th, 15th and the 16th and three bogeys at the 9th, 13th and the 18th.
Shahid Javed Khan (Wapda) is the first day leader in the amateur category, after handing over a card of four-under-68.
Shahid finished off the first and back nine holes at two- under (35+33). Three birdies each on the front and back nine (4th, 5th, 6th, 12th, 13th, 18th) and loss of one stroke in each round (1st and 10th) was the breakup of Shahid’s first day performance.
Waseem Rana (Karachi) was at the second position at one- under-71.
There are three contenders fighting at the third spot with identical score of two-over-74. They were Shafique Bhatti (Gymkhana), Javed Khan (Nowshera) and Adil.
Leading first day’s scores:
Professional: 67-Muhammad Akram (Gym).
67-Tahir Naseem (Wapda)
68-Arshad Ali (UBL.)
68-Muhammad Tariq (PTCL).
69-Imdad Hussain (Garrison).
69-Abbas Ali (Gymkhana).
70- Muhammad Ilyas (Gymkhana).
70- Muhammad Sajid (Rawalpindi).
70- Muhammad Javed (Gymkhana).
70-Muhammad Munir (PTCL).
Amateur: 68- Shahid Javed Khan (Wapda)
71- Waseem Rana (Karachi).
74- Shafique Bhatti (Gymkhana).
74- Javed Khan (Nowshera).
74-Adil.