LAHORE: Having been on top since the first round, Mohammad Shoaib ensured he wasn’t going to be denied at the end.

In a gruelling final-round of the National Amateur Golf Championships, Shoaib held his nerve and fired a one-over 73 to lift the title by two strokes at Lahore Gymkhana on Saturday.

Salman Jahangir had pulled level with Shoaib atop the leaderboard after Friday’s penultimate round, looking in ominous form but couldn’t match his younger rival when it mattered the most.

Three-handicapper Shoaib moved a shot clear off Salman (75) at the turn and then increased his advantage by another over the back nine, firing three birdies over the last 18 holes and finishing with a four-round aggregate of six-over 294.

Having finished runner-up last year, Shoaib said “it is the best day of my career” after becoming the national champion for the first time.

It wasn’t just Salman who was running Shoaib close for the title. Ahmed Zafar Hayat had started the last round a shot behind the joint-leaders but couldn’t elevate his game and finished third at 299 after returning a card of 77.

Sameer Iftikhar (76) finished a stroke further adrift in fourth and one ahead of Qasim Ali Khan (73). Egypt’s Dean Naime (77) ended in sixth place on 302, two ahead of Sri Lankan Chalitha Pushpika (79).

Sameer, a five-handicapper, was the net winner with an aggregate of 280.

In the ladies’ contest, Parkha Ijaz overturned a one-shot deficit into a one-shot victory with a long putt on the last hole.

It was Parkha’s maiden national title with a 76 on the final day seeing her finish the three-round competition with an aggregate of 229.

Overnight leader Humna Amjad (78) had to contend with second place at 230 with Aania Farooq finishing third on 252.

One-handicapper Parkha finished top of the net category as well but Humna, who holds a similar handicap, was given the award with the former having bagged the gross title.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2023