The big names of Professional Golf in Pakistan played captivating and enthralling golf during the course of the round on Friday in the esteemed 8th J.A. Zaman Memorial Open Golf Championship, at the sublime Lahore Gymkhana Golf Course.
With the day remaining bright and beaming, a young upcoming golf professional of Karachi Golf Club managed to command the flow of competitive play by ending the day at a spectacular aggregate score of six under par. This phenomenal one just a week back was the runner up in CJSC Championship in Karachi and he continues to show exceptional form again. Zubair played like a foremost and acclaimed golfer and hit his tee shots on all the par four and par fives to perfection and while he attained a distance of 280 yards plus through every hit, the fairways approach shots were equally on target and enabled him to surface as the leader. His birdies on holes 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 18 were the result of masterly play and most sparkling was his putting on the fast paced greens where many other competent professionals got cold feet and lost strokes that pushed their positions a little low on the leader board.
Two other capable ones, Moazzan Siddique of DHA, Karachi and the defending Champion Matloob Ahmed accumulated a sterling score of four under par and are placed two strokes behind the forerunner, M. Zubair. These two proficient ones are comfortably placed and have the capacity to make a fight of it over the remaining two rounds. Also looking agreeably placed are three notable professionals, Muhammed Munir of Rawalpindi, Muhammed Naeem of Peshawar and the flamboyant Ahmed Baig of PAF Skyview. They have aggregated a noteworthy score of three under par and are bunched together at this majestic score. All three are remarkable and imposing hitters of the ball and possess all round capabilities that are high toned and upscale.
Competition wise a few others are oozing with a resolve for accomplishment and though they are a few strokes behind the leader ,their sense of purposefulness is manifest from the way they are playing. And in this category fall three champions, the steadfast Muhammed Nazir of Rawalpindi the dynamic Hamza Amin of Islamabad and the experience Shahid Javed Khan of Lahore Gymkhana. They are together at a score of two under par. At one under par are Suleman Akhter of Gymkhana and the number one ranked player of Pakistan Muhammed Shabbir Iqbal .
All these flag bearers have power and vigor and energy and seek to undo each other in the rounds on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday the amateurs also enter the race in their own category and the participating numbers are huge and add up to a total of 126 and include some very dexterous players.
