PESHAWAR - The 47th edition of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Amateur Golf Championship will tee off here at 6666-yards PAF Golf Course today (Friday) over 54-hold, 18-hole each day.
Addressing a press conference, KP Golf Association secretary Col (r) Shahadat Hussain, flanked by veteran golfer and captain of the historical golf course Zahir Shah, disclosed that all the arrangements for holding the national ranking were completed. Shahadat, a veteran golfer, said status and eligibility of the event was to open for Amateur HCP 0-9 where in 40 top golfers from all across the country are competing. “Another 45 each in HCP 10-18, HCP 13-18 and Senior Amateur, 8 Ladies and 12 Children also vie for the top honor in their respective categories.”
“The championship, one of the oldest of the country, is going to govern by the rules of Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and the local rules. There will be attractive utility prizes and trophies for the position holders. In case of a tie, sudden death playoff for the Amateur Championship Trophy on Hole No 10 and onward while for the historical Boltan Cup and other positions count back principal will apply,” he added.
“As desired by KP Golf Association president Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hidayat-ur-Rehman, all the arrangements have been made well in time to provide all facilities to the golfers during the three-day event in which around 150 golfers will vie for the top honor,” he said.
“Leading golfers like Naeem Khan, Rehman, defending champion Taimur Naseer, Ghazanfar Mehmood, Tariq Mehmood will feature in the event which carries seven different categories including open to Amateur Handicap 9 and below with subsidiary matches of HCP 10-18, boys U-15 and U-18, ladies with maximum 18 HCP, seniors 55-years and above and veterans 70 years and above,” he added.
Shahadat said the event carried oldest trophies like Gai Cup awarded to the championship in 1934 by Gai for ladies competitors, Bolton Cup for the gross winner. The Bolton Cup was awarded by Sir Bolton while the Challenge Trophy was awarded to the championship in way back 1928 by Major Warner,” he added.
Captain of the golf course and ex-PDA Director General Zahir Shah said they had chalked out a plan to plant more than 2000 trees to create a conducive and pollution-free environment for the golfers and members of the PAF golf club in the days to come. “SVP Air Vice Marshal Shahid Akhtar Alvi is very keen to bring the course according to international standard. Complete overhauling will be made in the course so that it may be ready to hold international events,” Zahir concluded.