LAHORE - Upcoming golfer Sunny Masih of Lahore Gymkhana and top ranked player Shahid Javed Khan of Royal Palm Golf Club excelled on the first day of the four-day Nabi Yousaf Memorial Professional Golf Challenge Cup 2016 here at the par 72 Royal Palm Golf and Country Club golf course on Thursday.

While Sunny impressed with his long game, Shahid was consistency loaded and both of them added sparkle to this four days championship that is an exclusive event for the professionals only. In the course of the first round Sunny had birdies on holes 3, 4 and 5, another one on the 8th and two more on holes 12th and 14th. These birdies were backed up by 11 regulation pars and the only bogey was encountered on the closing 18th hole.  "It has been a memorable day for me,” Sunny said and added: “I plan to continue with proper application of golfing skills over the remaining three rounds and I hope to take full advantage of the excellent fairways of Royal Palm Golf Course to bring under par rounds and remain among top contenders.”

Shahid reaped birdies on holes 3 and 4 and also on holes 12, 13, 14 and 16. The pars were earned on ten holes and the stroke losses hit him on holes 9 and 11. "I am glad that my hitting was in rhythm and I enjoyed the birdie putts on six holes which were free of nerves,” Shahid said and added: “I hope to play to a game plan on the second day and overtake the other fierce ones.”

Another champion Shabbir Iqbal of Islamabad accumulated a score of gross 69, three under par while Talat Ejaz (Gymkhana) at a score of 71 and M Naeem (Peshawar) also at 71. Another competitor at 71 was M Saeed of Royal Palm while at a score of par 72 were players like M Munir (Islamabad), M Siddique (Faisalabad), M Safdar(Gujranwala), M Asif (Defence Raya), Ashir Masih (Gymkhana), M Matloob (Lahore Garrison) and Danyaal Jehangir(Gymkhana).