PESHAWAR :Under a bright sunny weather defending champion Ashiq Hussain grabbed a stroke lead against first day leader Ahmed Baig on the second day with his gross score par 144 over 36 holes of the 72-holes 57th National Amateur Golf Championship being played here at lush green PAF Golf Course on Friday.
Ashiq Hussain added one under 71 to his overnight one over par 73. Ashiq Hussain Ahmad Baig (72) on the opening day played well despite strong wind by keeping their nerve cool against fellow golfers. The pin placing was so tough and that is why most of the golfers have some misjudgment as compare to first day round when they went for birdie putt.
Ashiq Hussain scored birdies at hole no. 2, hole no. 6, 7, 8, 10 and 17 and missed a stroke on hole no. 13 and 14. He said 35, one under at front nine and par 36 at back nine. “I played my game and thank God I hit almost all regulations which somehow eased my job for a birdie-putt,” Ashiq Hussain said. “I love to play golf in PAF Golf Course which has perfect green and excellently prepared fairways while all credit goes to the organizing committee for such a wonderful event,” Ashiq Hussain added.
Playing par 72 on the opening day, international golfer Ahmad Baig, added one par 73 to his overnight score was struggling just a stroke behind at 145, one over par over 36-holes. Ahmad Baig carded 73 with, 37, one over par, at front nine and par 36 at back nine with birdies at hole no. 1, 5, 9 and 12. Ahmed Baig had a bogey at well when his Tee-short landed in the front banker at hole no 16 and that cost him double bogy at hole no. 16 par-3. “I hit almost all greens and that is why I made more than 12 par in the second day 18 holes,” Ahmad Baig said.
“Today the greens needed a slow response because of the bright sunny weather and that is why the ball was moving quickly on the greens because of heat and sunny weather,” Ahmad Baig added.
Another prominent national golfer Robin Bagh was struggling at third with his gross score 148 when he added one over par 73 to his overnight 75. Robin carded 36, par at front nine and one over par 37 at bank nine with birdies at 4, 8 and 12.
Robin has double bogeys at hole no. 4 and hole no. 13.
Damil Atta Ullah of Garrison Club added 74, two over par, to his overnight score 75 is struggling at fourth with his gross score 149, Ahmed Zafar Hayat 75, 74 (149), international golfer Taimur Khan 74, 75 (149) Khalid Mehmood 79, 71 (150), Khushal Khan 77, 74 (151) were the other leading golfers.
In the Ladies event being played over 54 holes Aania Farooq, 4 HCP player, carded 76 over 18 holes on the opening day, followed by Hamna Amjad with 76, Rimsha Ijaz (77), Suneyah Osama (79), Parkha Ijaz (80), Ami Qin (82), Tahira Nazir (82), Ana James Gill (85), Zaib Un Nisa (86), Shahzadi Gulfam of Police (91), Dr. Fozia Umer Qureshi (96) and Farida Naseer (96) were the prominent golfers.
In the Inter-Association Ladies match Suneyuah Osama, Rimsha Ijaz and Parkha Ijaz carded a joint score of 156 while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa led by Dr. Fareeda Naseer with Hamna Amjad scored 172 over 18 holes.
In the Male Inter-Provincial Association the team of Punjab comprising Ashiq Hussain, Ahmad Naig, Muhammad Rehman and Muhammad Saqib scored 221, followed by Punjab-B team including Salman Jehangir, Robin Bagh, Ralfe’e Raja and Khalid Mehmood scored 231. KP team comprising Inayat Ullah Yousafzai, Khushal Khan, Taimur Khan, Akbar Qayyum Bukhari carded 227 score and Sindh team including Zohaib Asif, Sajid Khan, Saim Shazli and Muhammad Sharif carded 234 score.
