LAHORE, Nov 29: Ghazanfar Mahmood of the Rawalpindi Golf Club emerged as leader with a gross score of three-under-69 as the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Golf Championship started at the Royal Palm Golf Course here on Thursday.
Ghazanfar, top-ranked amateur in Pakistan, seems to be in a mood to dominate the three-day championship. Teeing off along with Tariq Mahmood of Pakistan Navy and Sajid Khan of the ASGCC, Ghazanfar shone with a massive 280-yard opening tee shot that reflected control and ability and from thereon it was all excellence over the eighteen holes.
On his way to play a fine round, he earned birdies on holes 2, 7, 12, 13, 15 and 16 all the result of most impressive hits off the tee and backed by some very crisp hitting from the fairways and very fruitful use of the putter. Over the 18 holes he had six birdies, nine regulation pars and encountered stroke losses on holes 10, 11 and 17. The only regret of the day for Ghazanfar came when a slightly wayward tee shot on the tenth hole landed in the jungle otherwise he kept his composure to post a fine card.
As against Ghazanfar’s performance, defending champion Mohammad Rehman ended the first round with a rather modest score of gross 77. A triple bogie on one of holes dented his hope for any major place. It will need a lot of excellence in the shape of birdies in the remaining two rounds to help him get back into the leaders row.
Tariq Mahmood, meanwhile, lies second at a gross score of 74, two over par along with Imran Ahmed of Lahore Gymkhana, who is also at the same score. Tariq has been a part of the golf scene for over three decades and Imran Ahmed is equally experienced, if not more. They are temperamentally strong and with consistency can upset the leaders’ march to victory over the remaining two rounds.
Col(r) Shafi of the Garrison Golf Club also made his presence felt with a gross round of 75 and appeared determined for top honours in the championship.
Other prominent ones in line are Robin Bagh (Sargodha, 75), Khalid Mahmood (Rawalpindi, 76), Mohammad Rehman (Royal Palm, 77) and Raza Ali Khan (Royal Palm, 77). Akbar Qayyum Bokhari (Peshawar), Amir Chaudhry (Gymkhana), Saleem Raza (Gujranwala) and Umar Salamat (Royal Palm) are all at gross 79.
Disappointments of the day were Salman Jahangir, Col Asif Mehdi, Mir Maaz, Hashim Butt and Mohsen Zafar.
In the net category, the race is on between Gymkhana’s Umar Zia and Raza Ali Khan of the Royal Palm Club as both are placed at net score of 70.
Abdullah Sharif is at 71 followed by Dr Dildar Hussain, Hussain Hamid, Danish Javed, Ahmed Kayani, Nasir Irshad, Usman Cheema and Mohammad Hassan Saeed. The ladies event will tee off on Friday.